For the first time in Nepal, a single brain-dead donor’s kidney and liver were successfully transplanted into one patient. This historic operation was performed at Shahid Dharmabhakta National Transplant Center with support from Kathmandu Medical College. Doctors say this kind of dual-organ transplant is not only rare in Nepal, but also in the world.
Dr. Pukar Chandra Shrestha, who led the surgery, said this complex operation was one of the most challenging in the world. Alongside him, a dedicated team of surgeons and anesthesiologists helped complete the life-saving procedure.
According to the hospital, another kidney from the same donor was transplanted into a 42-year-old woman. Both patients are recovering well and will be discharged soon.
The organs came from an 18-year-old man declared brain-dead on 1st Jestha. This donor helped save two lives—an inspiring reminder of how organ donation gives others a second chance at life.
Doctors from several departments, including liver and kidney specialists, anesthesiologists, and critical care experts, joined hands to make this transplant successful. The liver transplant team included Dr. Roshan Ghimire and Dr. Praveen Maharjan, while the kidney transplant team had Dr. Dipesh Shrestha, Dr. Rupesh Jha, and others.
Nepal first performed a liver transplant in 2073 with help from Korean experts. In 2075, a fully Nepali team, led by Dr. Shrestha, conducted the country’s first-ever independent liver transplant.
So far, 34 liver transplants have been done at the center, making it one of the most affordable facilities in the world—costing just 15 to 20 lakhs. Patients as young as 3 and as old as 68 have benefited.
The center also reports that since 2074, organs from 6 brain-dead donors have saved 15 lives—12 kidneys and 4 livers. A single brain-dead donor can potentially save up to 8 lives, providing two kidneys, two lungs, a liver, heart, pancreas, and small intestine.
With 4 to 6 people dying daily in road accidents and nearly 1,000 brain deaths annually in Kathmandu alone, doctors urge families to consider organ donation as a life-saving act.
As Dr. Shrestha says, “What could be a greater gift than allowing your loved one’s organs to save eight lives?”
