Hyderabad: Doctors at Osmania General Hospital wrote a medical history by performing a liver transplant on a 14-year-old boy with Marfan syndrome and very severe hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS).
The patient is from G. Nikhil Reddy of Gokavaram, Andhra Pradesh, lived with Marfan since childhood. He later suffered from severe liver disease, and eventually his oxygen levels dropped to a dangerous 68%.
He was diagnosed with very severe HP, a complication that affects lung function caused by liver disease, and he was barely able to walk or perform daily activities.
OGH doctors initially hesitated because of the risk of Marfan syndrome, a known connective tissue disease that weakens organs and blood vessels. “This is an extremely complex case. His anatomy is fragile, his heart and lungs are under pressure, and there is no medical precedent,” said Dr. Ch Madhusudhan, who leads the transplant team.
The boy’s mother donated part of his liver. The transplant was conducted under the Chief Minister Relief Fund (CMRF) program, with the government providing Rs 1 million. In private hospitals, the cost of such surgery can exceed Rs 6 million, which is far beyond family means.
After one month of ICU and assisted ventilation, Nikil’s oxygen saturation increased to 90%. The transplanted liver functioned well. “We think this is the first case like this in the world,” the medical team said in a press conference.
Multidisciplinary work involves the departments of gastroenterology, radiology, anesthesia and cardiology. “This is a lesson in how public hospitals can provide world-class care when they are supported and resources,” said Dr. Madhusudhan. The team said hope this success will bring hope to patients in other rare, high-risk conditions, who are often denied surgical options.
