Chennai, Nov 10 (PTI) City-based Rela Hospital on Tuesday said it has performed a successful liver transplant on a Sri Lankan professor who had to board a cargo flight to reach here for treatment during the Covid-induced lockdown.

Incidentally, his wife who was the prospective donor, turned "medically unfit" to donate the organ as she was diagnosed with a "low-grade tumour" arising from the small intestine, the hospital said in a release.

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The 44 year-old professor with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Research, Government of Sri Lanka, arrived here in July with his wife, mother-in-law and brother-in-law by a cargo flight following necessary approvals as his condition warranted a transplant.

Seating arrangements were made for the family in the aeroplane, it said.

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Since his wife, who was also treated for her condition here, could not donate the liver,his brother-in-law came forward to be a living liver donor at the last moment.

A nine-hour long surgery was done "successfully" on September 24 on the Sri Lankan national and "post-surgery, both the donor and the patient recovered well," the release added.

Prof Mohamed Rela, Chairman and Managing Director of the hospital, said the patient was diagnosed with a "rare autoimmune liver disease about three years ago."

He had developed an Autoimmune Hepatitis which affects the liver leading to liver cirrhosis and liver failure, the release added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)