Doctors at Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children have successfully performed a rare and complex liver surgery on two-year-old Aphsa, who was diagnosed with advanced liver cancer involving major blood vessels.
Aphsa was suffering from hepatoblastoma, a common liver cancer in children, but its central location in the liver made normal surgery impossible. Even after chemotherapy reduced the tumour size, it continued to block vital blood vessels. A liver transplant was considered, but no suitable donor was available during the critical treatment period.
The surgery was led by Dr. Abhishek Mathur, along with a team of senior specialists from paediatric surgery, liver transplantation, radiology, hepatology, anaesthesiology and intensive care. The doctors performed an ex-situ liver auto-transplant procedure, in which the liver was temporarily removed, the tumour was treated outside the body, blood vessels were reconstructed, and the child’s own liver was re-implanted.
The successful surgery has given Aphsa a new lease of life and highlights the hospital’s advanced medical expertise and teamwork.
