Bengaluru: "I was diagnosed with end-stage liver failure six years back. Till a year ago my life was hell and pathetic, till the transplant took place." says Ganesh Kamath, a liver transplant survivor who is leading a normal life post March 2014.
Expressing his emotions on his present improved life, at a press conference at an event that was celebrating 100 liver transplants in a city hospital, Ganesh adds, "it was difficult to find a donor until a year back."
The city based hospital has set up a dedicated "Global Integrated Liver Care (GILC) team to tackle the whole issue of liver disease from diagnosis to transplant which includes transplant surgeons, hepatologists, specialized anaesthetists and intensive care experts. Also, among the 100 transplants, 64 transplants were from deceased brain dead donors while 36 were from related living donors. While the majority of transplants were for adults, 7 per cent were done for children suffering from liver failure.
All the hospitals have benefited from the amendments made in the Transplantation of Human Organs Act (THOA), 1994 which has made organ transplants easy both for the patients and their families. "The new amended law has simplified the whole transplantation process in organ donation. The law has responded to the needs of the people," explains Dr Sonal Asthana, Consultant, Multi Organ Transplant Surgeon, BGS Global Hospitals.
Despite a more relaxed law, more than 200 patients are still on the active waiting list for liver transplants in the State. "In Karnataka, the organ donation rates have increased over the last four years, but still, more than 200 patients are on the active waiting list for liver transplant in our state. The real success of transplant programs will be possible only if we as a society pledge to donate our organs after death," points out Dr Mathew Jacob, Consultant, Multi Organ Transplant Surgeon, BGS Global Hospitals.
A team has conducted a study on the ‘Health related Quality of Life of a patient after Liver transplantation’, which has been presented at a National meeting. This study revealed several limitations due to emotional problems, energy/fatigue, social functioning and general health before the transplant.
However, significant improvements in the quality of life of a transplanted patient were observed within 2 months post transplantation, which progressively improved in due time. Participants spoke of living productive and meaningful lives and many reported a more positive outlook in life after the transplantation.
"The city-based study was done on seventy cases and it revealed that prior to transplantation there was poor quality of life and limitations due to physical problems, role limitations due to emotional problems, energy/fatigue, social functioning and general health." says Dr Sonal Asthana, Consultant, Multi Organ Transplant Surgeon, BGS Global Hospitals.
