Guinness seeks medical records after Pakistani surgeons perform 10 liver transplants in under 24 hours

LAHORE: Guinness World Records has sought medical records from the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Centre (PKLI&RC) after its 120-member team of surgeons and support staff claimed a record-breaking achievement by performing 10 liver transplant procedures, including one on a nine-month-old child, in 23 hours and 20 minutes.

A Guinness official said a team is also expected to visit PKLI&RC in this regard. The medical institute received a response from Guinness after submitting the case online along with visual evidence.

“We have achieved a landmark breakthrough in transplantation medicine, demonstrating a novel clinical approach that expands organ utilisation and advances the treatment of rare metabolic diseases,” said Dr Prof. Faisal Saud Dar, dean of PKLI&RC, during a press briefing on Wednesday.

The specialised multidisciplinary team, comprising transplant surgeons, hepatologists, paediatricians, anaesthetists, intensivists, nurses, transplant coordinators and allied healthcare professionals, was also present.

Describing it as an unprecedented demonstration of surgical innovation and clinical excellence, Prof Dar said the PKLI&RC team of senior surgeons successfully performed 10 liver transplants in 23 hours and 20 minutes, including seven domino liver transplants and eight Auxiliary Partial Orthotopic Liver Transplants (APOLT).

A domino liver transplant is a sequential procedure in which one patient’s healthy liver is removed and transplanted into a second recipient, while APOLT is a complex surgical procedure in which a partial donor liver is implanted alongside a portion of the patient’s native liver.

“This innovative transplant strategy enabled nine children and one adult to receive life-saving liver transplants from only three donors, demonstrating how advanced surgical expertise can substantially expand the impact of scarce donor organs,” he said.

He added that all patients had been discharged from the hospital and reunited with their families.

Prof Dar said the initiative successfully integrated two of the world’s most sophisticated transplant techniques into a highly coordinated clinical programme — Domino Liver Transplantation and APOLT.

“The scientific novelty of this initiative lies in the successful execution of a coordinated series of domino and auxiliary liver transplants for patients with rare inherited metabolic disorders,” Prof Dar said.

He maintained that these pioneering procedures represented a significant advancement in the treatment of rare genetic and metabolic diseases, opening new possibilities for patients who previously had limited therapeutic options.

He added that the successful case exemplified what transplant specialists describe as a “metabolic chimera” — a sophisticated transplantation model that combines scientific innovation, surgical precision and responsible organ stewardship to extend the benefits of a single donor organ to multiple recipients.

“By optimising organ utilisation, this approach offers new possibilities for addressing donor scarcity and expanding access to life-saving transplantation.”

“Beyond its clinical and scientific significance, the initiative represents a powerful story of hope and renewed possibility,” the PKLI&RC dean said.

The achievement highlights the strength of regulatory governance and clinical excellence in advancing transplant care in Pakistan, he added.

Provincial Minister for Finance Mian Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, who was also present on the occasion, congratulated the entire PKLI&RC team for setting a new benchmark in liver transplantation and bringing international recognition to Pakistan through excellence in healthcare.

He said the rare procedure further reinforced PKLI&RC’s position as a leading centre for transplantation, advanced clinical care and medical innovation in the region.

Prof Saeed Akhtar, chairman of the PKLI&RC Board of Governors, reaffirmed the institute’s commitment to its vision of providing patients with the most advanced and innovative medical treatments, emphasising that the hospital would continue to utilise its full capabilities to deliver world-class healthcare services.

Since its inception, he said, the institute has successfully performed 1,175 liver transplants, 1,276 kidney transplants and 19 bone marrow transplants, serving patients from across Pakistan and beyond.