AIIMS Bhubaneswar has successfully conducted its first-ever liver transplant, marking a major milestone for the premier medical institute, Executive Director Prof. (Dr) Ashutosh Biswas said on Wednesday.
Addressing the media, Dr Biswas expressed satisfaction over the achievement and said the donor has already been discharged without any complications, while the recipient is recovering well and is expected to be discharged in a few days.
“This was a challenging procedure as it was the first liver transplant at AIIMS Bhubaneswar. However, our doctors, surgeons and support staff were well trained and confident,” Dr Biswas said.
The surgery was performed on a patient suffering from liver failure on December 20 and was followed by intensive monitoring through the night by a large team of specialists.
Eleven days after the surgery, both the donor and the recipient were reported to be in stable condition. The liver transplant recipient is a 37-year-old individual from Pipili in Odisha’s Puri district.
The donor is a 30-year-old male and the recipient’s brother, who voluntarily donated a portion of his liver out of love and affection, without any financial or material consideration.
The surgery, carried out by a team of more than 50 members, took 14 hours to complete, Dr Biswas said.
He highlighted that the success was made possible through coordinated efforts across multiple departments, including Gastro Surgery, Gastroenterology, Anaesthesiology, Critical Care, Nursing, Pathology, Microbiology, Biochemistry and Transfusion services, along with trained support and technical staff.
Dr Biswas also acknowledged the support of the Ministry of Health, senior officials and the institute’s administrative leadership.
To strengthen its transplant programme, AIIMS Bhubaneswar has established a dedicated transplant ICU and a specially designed transplant operation theatre.
The procedure can be carried out under the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme, reducing the financial burden on patients.
The institute now aims to offer liver transplant facilities to patients from Odisha and neighbouring states.
This milestone marks the beginning of specialised liver transplant services at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, offering new hope to patients requiring advanced liver care in the region.
Notably, the Liver Transplant Outpatient Department (OPD) at AIIMS Bhubaneswar became operational on February 21, 2025. Further strengthening transplant services, a 10-bedded, highly sophisticated transplant Intensive Care Unit (ICU) has been fully operational since November 2025.
To ensure excellence and sustainable capacity building, AIIMS Bhubaneswar has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), New Delhi, the country’s premier public-sector institute dedicated exclusively to liver and biliary diseases.
— IANS
