Gurugram hospital performs world's first living donor liver transplant with double heart valve surgery

Gurugram (Haryana) [India], July 18 (ANI): In a groundbreaking achievement for global medical care, Paras Health Gurugram, has successfully performed the world's first Living Donor Liver Transplant combined with a double heart valve surgery.
This complex transplant was performed on a 55-year-old woman from Kyrgyzstan, who had been battling end-stage autoimmune liver disease along with severe valvular heart disease, said the hospital in a press release.
The patient, Anara M, after multiple hospitalizations over several years, arrived at Paras Health Gurugram on February 25, 2025, seeking advanced care for her rapidly deteriorating health.
The comprehensive pre-transplant evaluation revealed that she not only needs a liver transplant but also a repair of both her mitral and tricuspid heart valves, making it a uniquely complex and high-risk case.
The landmark procedure was made possible by an integrated team of specialists, including Dr. Vaibhaw Kumar, Director - Institute of Liver Transplant & GI Surgery, Dr Amit Rastogi - Chairman, Institute of Liver Transplant & GI Surgery and Dr Sanjay Kumar, Vice Chairman, Cardiac Surgery.
Special contribution by Dr Rajnish Monga, Chairman, Gastroenterology & Hepatology and Dr. Amit Bhushan Sharma, Director & Unit Head in Cardiology, was also made to make the surgery successful.
Dr Vaibhaw Kumar, Director, Institute of Liver Transplant and GI Surgery at Paras Health Gurugram, said, "It is the first time anyone has combined a living donor liver transplant with simultaneous mitral and tricuspid valve repair. Our team carried out the liver transplant with great precision and deep knowledge of anatomy, along with well-coordinated care during and after the surgery."
"By doing double valve repair at the same time, we increased the risk and complexity significantly. Completing both procedures in one session demonstrates our surgical skill and the strength of our collaborative approach. We have set a new standard for what can be done in modern transplant and cardiac surgery," he added.
Dr Sanjay Kumar, Vice Chairman, Cardiac Surgery at Paras Health Gurugram, said, "This was a very high-risk and rare case. Performing cardiac surgery and a liver transplant in a single session greatly increases the surgical complexity. The patient had severe dysfunction of both the mitral and tricuspid valves."
"This meant that unless her heart was stabilized first, the liver transplant would not have been possible. Successfully replacing Mitral Valve and repairing the tricuspid valve allowed the transplant team to move forward with confidence. This achievement shows the strong teamwork between the cardiac and liver teams, the hospital's infrastructure, and our dedication to providing patients a second chance at life," he added.
The groundbreaking surgery took place on March 26, 2025. The 4-hour cardiac procedure was performed first to repair the damaged heart valves. After the heart valve surgery, the patient was briefly awakened in the operation theatre to check her heart function before proceeding with the liver transplant, as her heart needed to be stable for the next stage.
It was followed immediately by a 12 hour living donor liver transplant, bringing the total surgical time to 16 hours. The multidisciplinary team included 18-20 specialists, such as surgeons, anesthetists, technicians, and critical care nurses, said the hospital.
The patient's 23-year-old nephew donated the liver and was discharged from the hospital on the fifth day after surgery and went back to Kyrgyzstan within three weeks. He made a full recovery and returned to work, highlighting the safety of living donor procedures when done under expert supervision.
Post-surgery, Anara was closely monitored and remained in the ICU for 8 days, followed by a 7-day stay in a hospital room. She was discharged on Day 15 and returned to her native country after six weeks. Now, three months later, she has resumed a completely normal and healthy lifestyle.
This medical milestone was made possible by Paras Health's modern facilities. These include hybrid operating rooms, AI-supported surgical planning tools, real-time 3D imaging, and a dedicated transplant ICU, said the hospital.
This innovative surgery highlights India's increasing role in advanced healthcare innovation. The hospital aims to publish this case in a top international medical journal to help centers that manage similar multi-organ transplant cases around the world. (ANI)