KIMS doctors avoid liver transplant by treating Budd-Chiari syndrome

Metro India News | Hyderabad

A 30-year-old patient from Vizag who had been advised a liver transplant after suffering from recurrent accumulation of fluid in the abdomen for nearly a year has avoided major transplant surgery following the correct diagnosis and minimally invasive treatment at KIMS Hospitals, Kondapur. Investigations, including advanced vascular imaging, revealed that the underlying problem was chronic Budd-Chiari syndrome, a rare vascular disorder in which the veins draining blood from the liver become severely narrowed or blocked.

The evaluation showed complete occlusion of the major hepatic veins, resulting in obstruction to the normal outflow of blood from the liver. A blood clot was also detected in an accessory left hepatic vein, which was providing an alternative route for hepatic venous drainage.  The procedure successfully re-established venous drainage from the liver without the need for major surgery. Following the procedure, the patient recovered well and was discharged on medication under medical supervision. At a follow-up examination one month later, the recurrent abdominal fluid accumulation had resolved completely.

Dr. Mahesh Kumar Thummu, Interventional Radiologist, KIMS Hospitals, Kondapur, who was part of the treating team, said that Budd-Chiari syndrome can sometimes be difficult to identify because its clinical presentation may resemble that of common forms of liver cirrhosis.