AIIMS Bhubaneswar has successfully conducted its first-ever liver transplant, marking a major milestone for the premier medical institute. The surgery was performed on December 20 on a 37-year-old patient from Pipili in Odisha’s Puri district suffering from liver failure, and the recipient is reported to be recovering well, with discharge expected in a few days. The donor, the recipient’s 30-year-old brother, voluntarily donated a portion of his liver and has already been discharged without complications.
The complex procedure, carried out by a team of more than 50 doctors, surgeons, and support staff, took 14 hours to complete and involved intensive monitoring by specialists through the night. The success of the surgery was made possible through coordinated efforts across multiple departments, including Gastro Surgery, Gastroenterology, Anaesthesiology, Critical Care, Nursing, Pathology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Transfusion services, alongside trained technical and support staff.
To strengthen its transplant programme, AIIMS Bhubaneswar has established a dedicated transplant Intensive Care Unit and a specially designed transplant operation theatre. The liver transplant services can be carried out under the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme, reducing the financial burden on patients. The institute now aims to extend liver transplant facilities to patients from Odisha and neighbouring states.
The Liver Transplant Outpatient Department at AIIMS Bhubaneswar became operational on February 21, 2025, and a 10-bedded advanced transplant ICU has been fully functional since November 2025. To ensure excellence and sustainable capacity building, AIIMS Bhubaneswar has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences in New Delhi, a leading public-sector institute dedicated to liver and biliary diseases.
This achievement marks the beginning of specialised liver transplant services in the region, offering new hope to patients requiring advanced liver care.
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