New Delhi: A five-month old baby girl from Kolkata has become Indias youngest liver transplant recipient, said doctors at the Max Super Speciality Hospital.

Ariana Dey, now six-months old, was born healthy, but at five months of age, she suffered from jaundice which resulted in her liver malfunctioning (elevated ammonia). She was admitted with acute bleeding and was advised a liver transplant. Her mother donated a part of her liver.

Over a 10-hour-long surgery, doctors replaced Deys liver with a modified liver from her mother to fit the baby. Subhash Gupta, Chairman at the hospitals Centre for Liver and Biliary Sciences, said that in this case, the transplant was urgently required as the baby was diagnosed with very severe liver failure and was in a critical state. They aimed to treat her at the earliest with a lifesaving surgery, to ensure that her quality of life is not affected in the long run.

He added that following the surgery, she will lead a normal life. She is the youngest Indian to undergo successful liver transplant.

The doctors maintained that conducting a liver transplant surgery in a baby weighing less than 10 kg and less than one year of age is a highly complex procedure.

Sharat Varma, Consultant at the hospital, said that in infants, there is immense surgical complexity and post transplant care is specialized, due to their small size. Varma mentioned that after the transplant, Dey did well and showed rapid recovery. She went home within 22 days of surgery.