BEST PROVIDERS OF SPECIALIST CARE
TRANSPLANT SERVICE PROVIDER OF THE YEAR IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC
GLENEAGLES HOSPITAL SINGAPORE
Some of the most advanced transplant services in the Asia-Pacific region are performed at Gleneagles Hospital Singapore ( GEH ), where a comprehensive team of experts have built a wealth of experience in organ transplants , especially liver transplantation .
“ The Transplant Unit is a unique in-patient ward in Gleneagles Hospital Singapore ,” Hui Hwa Koh-Minjoot , the hospital ’ s chief executive officer , told Global Health Asia-Pacific . “ Established in 2006 , the ward specialises in all aspects of liver care , ranging from highly complex living donor liver transplants and liver dialysis to liver cirrhosis , Hepatitis C treatments , and even Hepatitis A and B vaccinations .”
A number of treatments are available for liver disease , including medications and surgery to remove a portion of the liver , a procedure that may be required in case of liver cancer . If alternative treatment options are no longer effective and transplantation is the only option , patients can undergo dialysis ( liver filtration ) until a donated liver becomes available .
The good news is that the liver has the ability to regenerate itself , which means a living donor can give a portion of their healthy liver to a patient . Both livers will regrow and regain their full function within four to six weeks — a procedure called living donor liver transplant ( LDLT ). This makes finding a suitable donor easier because patients don ’ t have to wait until a donor with a compatible liver passes away .
Since performing the first LDLT in 2002 , the team of transplantation experts at GEH have successfully
Dr Ravi Shrestha and Jeffrey Law
conducted more than 240 such procedures .
Central to this clinical success is the seamless high-quality care patients receive at every step of the therapeutic process , said Koh-Minjoot .
For example , patients are immediately transferred to the intensive care unit ( ICU ) after their operations for monitoring , rather than a general ward . Recovering in an ICU room reduces the risk of infection for vulnerable patients because the special airflow system prevents most airborne viruses and bacteria from entering the rooms .
Since the Transplant Unit also houses general ward rooms that are fully equipped with state-of-the-art medical technologies , patients can then be easily transferred to the general ward . “ This enables our team of specialist surgeons , doctors , and nurses trained in the care of delicate liver conditions , and allied healthcare professionals to guide patients through the entire treatment journey from surgery to post-transplant recovery ,” added Koh- Minjoot .
In order to minimise risks , the entire transplantation process is thoroughly vetted and regulated because all LDLTs performed in Singapore have to be approved by the Transplant Ethics Committee , as required by the Human Organ Transplant Act to prevent human organ trade .
Combined with this regulatory framework , the expertise of the transplant team at GEH have given many patients a new lease of life . “ LDLT has become an increasingly acceptable and effective option for patients with acute liver failure and end-stage liver cancers ,” said Koh-Minjoot . “ Without LDLT , such patients can develop fatal complications .”
92 DECEMBER 2020 GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com