Rainbow Children's Hospital Performs Complex Liver Transplant on 3.5-Year-Old With Rare Disease and Congenital Urinary Abnormality

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Chennai, September 30, 2026: Doctors at Rainbow Children’s Hospital successfully performed a living-donor liver transplant on a 3.5-year-old child diagnosed with the rare systemic disorder Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH), complicated by severe liver dysfunction and congenital vesicoureteric reflux causing recurrent urinary tract infections. 

Rainbow Children's Hospital Performs Complex Liver Transplant on 3.5-Year-Old With Rare Disease and Congenital Urinary Abnormality
Rainbow Children’s Hospital Multidisciplinary Pediatric Care Team with 3.5 year old child

The child initially presented with jaundice, with bilirubin levels rising to 10–12 mg/dL. Modified low-dose chemotherapy and newer targeted therapy achieved a 90–95% response in LCH, while recurrent infections prompted evaluation by pediatric nephrology and urology teams. The child was diagnosed with congenital vesicoureteric reflux and underwent ureteric reimplantation with stent placement before transplantation. Once medically stabilised, the child underwent liver transplantation approximately three weeks later, receiving the left lateral segment of his father’s liver. 


The nearly 10-hour procedure was performed by Dr. Mettu Srinivas Reddy, Group Director – Department of Liver Transplantation & HPB Surgery, along with Dr. Somashekara H R, Senior Consultant – Pediatric Hepatology & Liver Transplantation, and the multidisciplinary team. 

The team included Dr. Prahlad N, Dr. Prasanna Gopal, Dr. Nandhini G, Dr. Karthik Narayanan R, Dr. Nataraj P, Dr. Meena Sivasankaran and Dr. Sathish Chander. Following eight weeks of close monitoring, the child completed four additional rounds of disease-directed chemotherapy. 

Follow-up evaluations showed no evidence of LCH and resolution of recurrent urinary infections. Dr. Somashekara H R highlighted the importance of coordinating hepatology, hemato-oncology, transplant, nephrology and urology care, while Dr. Mettu Srinivas Reddy emphasised meticulous preparation and post-transplant monitoring. Dr. Prahlad N and Dr. Nandhini G also highlighted the importance of correcting the urinary abnormality before transplantation to minimise infection risk and optimise the child’s condition.

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