After 25 Years, India's 1st Child Liver Transplant Recipient Becomes Doctor

Sanjay Kandasamy, a 20-month-old child from Tamil Nadu, became India's first successful paediatric liver transplant recipient in 1998. Now, 25 years after his transplant, life has come full circle for him as he is now a successful doctor himself, practising medicine at a local hospital in his hometown in Kanchipuram. According to PTI, Delhi's Indraprastha Apollo Hospital performed the life-saving liver transplant on Mr Kandasamy, making him the first paediatric liver transplantee in the country. 

"Seeing their work from such close quarters gave me the determination to become a doctor. I want to contribute to saving lives, and set an example that one can overcome any challenge in life," Mr Kandasamy said in a press release. 

Mr Kandasamy was born with biliary atresia, a liver disorder that causes a blockage in the tubes (ducts) that carry bile from the liver to the gallbladder. This congenital condition occurs when the bile ducts inside or outside the liver do not develop normally. In Mr Kandasamy's case, his condition led to liver failure and he eventually needed a transplant. 

When the proposal for a transplant was discussed with the family, Mr Kandasamy's father agreed to become the donor without any hesitation. The transplant was then performed at the Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi by a team of experts. 

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"He (Mr Kandasamy) is a classic example of long-term smooth survival after undergoing a liver transplant surgery," said Mr Kandasamy's doctor, Dr Anupam Sibal, who is a group medical director and senior paediatric gastroenterologist at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals. "Sanjay Kandasamy, India's first liver transplant recipient is now a successful doctor, a beacon of hope for those with no hope," he added. 

Separately, Dr A S Soin, who is currently the chairman of Institute of liver transplantation at Medanta Hospital, called Mr Kandasamy's liver transplant operation one of his "proudest moments" in his career. 

 "It is one of the proudest moments in my 28-year career as a transplant surgeon. My baby patient is all set to become a doctor," he said. 

Meanwhile, according to PTI, doctors at Apollo Hospital have successfully conducted over 4,300 liver transplants, including 515 in children, since Mr Kandasamy's successful operation.