In a groundbreaking achievement, doctors at the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Centre (PKLI) in Lahore have carried out the nation’s first ‘split liver transplant’ and a historic pancreatic transplant. The surgical team, led by PKLI’s Dean and CEO, Dr. Faisal Saud Dar, utilized the liver of a young man declared brain dead in Rawalpindi. The organ was divided, with one part transplanted into an adult and the other into a young boy, both battling liver failure.
Additionally, the pancreas of the 32-year-old donor was successfully transplanted into a patient with Type-1 diabetes, marking Pakistan’s inaugural pancreatic transplant. The altruistic donor, Uzair Bin Yasin, had expressed his wish to donate all vital organs – liver, pancreas, kidneys, and eyes – after his demise. Remarkably, this act saved seven lives in Rawalpindi and Lahore. Two individuals regained sight through corneal transplants at the Shifa Eye Trust Hospital, while Uzair’s kidneys aided two patients with renal failure.
Dr. Faisal Saud Dar, a pioneer in liver transplantation in Pakistan, highlighted the significance of Uzair’s generosity. This event, involving the retrieval and transport of a liver over 400 kilometers for simultaneous transplants, marks a significant advancement in deceased donor liver transplantation. Dr. Dar emphasized Uzair’s heroism and urged awareness about posthumous organ donation as a perpetual act of charity and service to humanity.
Leave a Reply