Wockhardt Hospitals launches early recovery program for liver transplant

The hospital group also claims that the ERP program improves the survival rate of the patients by approximately 2-3 per cent while enhancing patient outcomes through advanced techniques

Wockhardt Hospitals, in collaboration with the South Asian Liver Institute, has launched an Early Recovery Program (ERP) for liver transplantation in Mumbai. The program aims to reduce the financial burden of liver transplants by approximately 20-30 per cent. This is achieved by reducing the hospital stay of patients (both donors and recipients) by using modern techniques which result in reduced blood loss, eliminating the necessity of blood transfusions.

They also claim the ERP program improves the survival rate of the patients by approximately 2-3 per cent while enhancing patient outcomes through advanced techniques. Key technical aspects of the program include advanced surgical techniques aimed at minimising blood loss, pre-operative patient optimisation, sophisticated drainage systems for liver grafts, and enhanced critical care protocols. These measures contribute to expedited recovery and improved patient survival rates.

Speaking on this, Tom Cherian, director of the transplant program at Wockhardt Hospitals (Mumbai Central), stated, "Sending a liver transplant patient home on day seven and a donor on day six is no joke. Careful and meticulous planning is essential to achieving such success rates. Such innovations are a marker of high quality in medical care because without excellence in all aspects of surgery, intensive care, and preparation, such discharges are not possible.”

Cherian also noted that similar enhanced recovery programs are already being used in various centres worldwide. “We doctors meet regularly in multiple meetings and our knowledge and our ideas keep bouncing off each other,” he said. “Enhanced recovery programs are tried in many centres across the world. Amsterdam and places like that are known for their enhanced recovery programs even from 20 years ago; hence, it is very important for India to have such programs.”

Currently, most liver transplant centres in India discharge patients after 14-16 days; however, Wockhardt has claimed that they have successfully discharged patients after seven days due to their ERP program. While the program is in its early stages, the hospital aims to expand its outreach efforts to regions like northeast India to engage more patients in the ERP.