In a remarkable demonstration of multidisciplinary medical expertise, Fortis Hospital Shalimar Bagh has successfully performed two highly complex procedures combining liver transplantation with major cardiac surgeries on critically ill patients suffering from advanced liver disease and severe heart conditions.
The hospital announced that both patients were battling decompensated chronic liver disease; an advanced stage of liver failure often associated with life-threatening complications such as jaundice, internal bleeding, fluid accumulation, kidney dysfunction, and severe metabolic instability. In both cases, liver transplantation was identified as the only definitive life-saving treatment. However, the coexistence of critical cardiac disorders significantly increased the surgical risk, making the procedures exceptionally challenging.
In the second case, a 41-year-old patient was found to have critical narrowing of the aortic valve, the valve responsible for regulating blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body. Doctors first carried out an open-heart valve replacement surgery to stabilise cardiac function. After closely monitoring the patient for 24 hours and ensuring there were no major complications, the multidisciplinary team proceeded with a living-donor liver transplantation the following day.
According to the hospital, both patients showed steady postoperative recovery and were discharged within three weeks in stable condition, with healthy liver graft function and stable cardiac status.
Speaking about the achievement, Dr. Ashish George, Principal Consultant and Unit Head, Liver Transplant and HPB Surgery, highlighted the importance of timely intervention, meticulous planning, and seamless collaboration among transplant surgeons, cardiac surgeons, anaesthetists, hepatologists, intensivists, and cardiologists. The cardiology team noted that such cases are considered extremely rare globally due to the enormous surgical complexity and the high-risk nature of managing advanced liver failure alongside critical heart disease. The hospital described these interventions as a major milestone in integrated tertiary care, underscoring the growing capabilities of Indian healthcare institutions in handling some of the world’s most demanding surgical challenges through coordinated, multidisciplinary expertise.
By
HB Team
