Osmania General Hospital doctors perform intestine transplant on 40-year-old man

Doctors at government-run Osmania General Hospital (OGH), Hyderabad have successfully carried out a small intestine transplant on a 40-year-old male patient suffering from severe short gut syndrome.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

In a major breakthrough, doctors at government-run Osmania General Hospital (OGH), Hyderabad have successfully carried out a small intestine transplant on a 40-year-old male patient suffering from severe short gut syndrome.

The cost of intestinal transplantation can vary based on several factors, such as the patient’s condition, age, associated health issues and the complexity of the procedure. On average, the cost of this transplant at a private hospital ranges from ₹22 lakh to ₹48 lakh, according to the website of a private hospital in Hyderabad.

In this condition, the patient’s small intestine was so short that he could not absorb nutrients from food properly. To survive, he had to depend on Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN), a method where nutrients are given directly into the bloodstream through a special tube called a central line. However, this lifeline came with serious risks, the central line often caused infections and led to the formation of dangerous blood clots in major veins.

To save his life, doctors decided to carry out a small intestine transplant, which was performed on April 19, they said.

The patient underwent a major surgery to remove part of the small bowel and right colon. This surgery became necessary after a sudden blockage in the superior mesenteric artery (SMA), a key blood vessel supplying the intestines, caused extensive damage and tissue death. After that operation, only 30 centimetres of his upper small intestine, near its connection to the stomach, was left, far too little to absorb enough nutrients naturally.

The recent transplant has proved to be a major turning point in his recovery. After the surgery, the patient has been able to start eating soft foods by mouth, and his ileostomy, an opening made in the abdomen to allow waste to leave the body, is functioning well. A routine endoscopy conducted on the seventh day after the transplant showed healthy, pink tissue lining the newly transplanted bowel, a positive sign of healing. Doctors also confirmed that biopsy reports have shown no signs of the body rejecting the new intestine.

Hospital authorities said that more details will be revealed in a press conference which is likely to be attended by the Health Minister and senior officials from the Health department.