First in Odisha: SUM Ultimate Medicare launches plasma exchange to treat liver damage

Bhubaneswar: SUM Ultimate Medicare (SUMUM), the Bhubaneswar-based hospital which has established itself as a trailblazer in the healthcare industry in eastern region having set several benchmarks in terms of quality of care and advanced treatment, has started Plasma Exchange (PLEX) to treat liver injury.

The advanced therapy, also known as liver dialysis, was successfully conducted to treat a young woman who had been diagnosed with severe liver injury, Dr. Gadadhar Panda, Associate Consultant in the GI Sciences department who conducted the procedure, said.

The final cycle of the first ever Plasma Exchange procedure in Odisha was completed on September 22, he said adding the patient was awaiting discharge from the hospital.

The woman had come to the hospital complaining of jaundice, severe itching, loss of weight and appetite for over a month. On evaluation, she was diagnosed with severe liver injury and treatment through administration of medicines was undertaken.

As there was no improvement in her condition, it was decided to undertake Plasma Exchange which reduced her jaundice significantly while there was improvement of other symptoms. The patient exhibited no complications.

Availability of such procedures would go a long way in saving the lives of many patients suffering from acute liver failure or acute liver injury due to various causes induced through alcohol intake, drugs, dengue fever or other reasons, Prof. Dr. Ayaskant Singh, Senior Consultant, GI Sciences, SUMUM said.

“Till now, the only option available to patients in such condition was to go for liver transplantation. But now with the advances in medical science, we are able to treat such patients using the much simpler procedure of Plasma Exchange to avoid the prohibitive and morbid surgery,” he added.

Apart from Dr. Gadadhar Panda and Prof. Dr. Ayaskant Singh, Dr. Sambit Bhuyan, Associate Consultant of GI Sciences and Dr. Sonam Panda of Anesthesiology were part of the team that successfully conducted the Plasma Exchange therapy for the first time in the state.