Wockhardt Hospitals Introduces Liver Transplant Early Recovery Program

This program uses modern techniques to decrease donor and recipient hospital stays, which is estimated to reduce the financial burden by 20-30%.

In a significant development for liver transplant patients, Wockhardt Hospitals, in partnership with the South Asian Liver Institute, has introduced an Early Recovery Program (ERP) in Mumbai. 

The program aims to reduce the hospital stay for both donors and recipients by leveraging modern techniques, leading to a decrease in the financial burden of liver transplant patients by an estimated 20-30%.

Talking about the implementation of the program, Tom Cherian, director, Wockhardt Hospitals (Mumbai Central) transplant program, said, "Sending a liver transplant patient home on day seven and a donor on day six is no joke."

Cherian highlighted the importance of excellence in all aspects of surgery, intensive care, and preparation for achieving such milestones. "Such innovations are a marker of high-quality medical care," he added.

The ERP program focuses on implementing advanced surgical techniques to minimize blood loss and eliminate the need for blood transfusions. 

Through pre-operative patient optimization and the utilization of drainage systems for liver grafts, the program ensures enhanced critical care protocols, thereby expediting recovery and improving patient survival rates. 

Global Adoption & Future Prospects

According to Cherian, the global adoption of similar enhanced recovery programs, indicates the significance of India's implementation. "Enhanced recovery programs are tried in many centers worldwide," he stated. 

Cherian stressed the importance of India adopting such initiatives, citing examples from centers such as Amsterdam, known for their pioneering efforts in enhanced recovery programs.

Currently, most liver transplant centers in India discharge patients after 14-16 days; however, the hospital claims it has discharged patients after  seven days with the ERP program. 

As the program continues to evolve, the hospital aims to expand its outreach efforts to regions including northeast India to extend the benefits of the ERP to more patients.

Wockhardt’s Latest Advancements

In other developments towards healthcare advancements, Wockhardt Hospitals unveiled the Stryker Mako Robot, technology for hip and knee replacements, last year. 

This technology ensures safety and precision in knee and hip replacement surgery, with features such as Accustop haptic feedback technology, enabling accurate bone cuts and implant positioning. Patients undergoing surgery with this technology experience less postoperative pain, speedy recovery, and shorter hospital stays.

Furthermore, Wockhardt Hospital Mumbai Central partnered with HaystackAnalytics, a genomics healthtech startup incubated at IIT Bombay, to venture into precision genomics using whole exome sequencing. 

The alliance helps the hospital to provide better patient care and health outcomes using genomic potential.

Wockhardt Hospitals  is a part of Wockhardt Ltd, India's 5th largest pharmaceutical and healthcare company with a presence in 20 countries across the globe.