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The Apollo Liver Diseases & Transplantation Institute, Chennai, is one of India’s leading centres for comprehensive liver care, offering a wide range of expertise - from diagnosing and treating liver conditions to performing advanced liver surgeries and liver transplants.
As a specialized unit within Apollo’s Organ Transplantation Centre of Excellence, the Institute brings together liver specialists (hepatologists), transplant surgeons, anesthetists, critical care intensivists, and coordinators to deliver seamless, multidisciplinary care.
Apollo Hospitals performed India’s first successful liver transplant in 1998. Today, with over 5,000 transplants completed across the network and a clinical success rate exceeding 95%, the program stands among the most experienced globally.
Chennai offers a distinct advantage. Tamil Nadu has historically led India in deceased organ donation and organ utilization, improving access to deceased donor transplantation.
The Institute is an accredited centre for liver transplants under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS), making advanced liver care accessible across economic backgrounds. It is also among the very few liver transplant centres in India with 24-hour readiness for emergency cadaveric (deceased) organ retrieval and transplantation.
Liver Specialists at Apollo
Meet Our Liver Specialists in Chennai
Liver Transplant
Transplants
Robotic Surgery
Transplants
Robotic Surgery
18+ years ,
MBBS, MS, MRCS, DNB, MCh, and PDF (Liver Transplantation)
Liver Transplant
Transplants
Transplants
5+ years ,
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), MRCS (England) DNB (Surgical Gastroenterology) Fellowship in liver transplant and Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary surgery
The Apollo Liver Diseases & Transplantation Institute offers expert evaluation and treatment across a wide range of liver conditions:
- Liver Diseases
- Liver Tumours
- Biliary & Pancreatic Conditions
- Pediatric Liver Conditions
Liver Diseases
- Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C (acute and chronic)
- Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (fatty liver)
- Alcohol-related liver disease
- Cirrhosis and its complications (ascites, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, hepatic encephalopathy)
- Acute liver failure
- Chronic liver disease (cirrhosis)
- Portal hypertension
- Autoimmune hepatitis
- Primary biliary cholangitis
- Genetic disorders involving the liver
- Hepatorenal syndrome
- Hepatic encephalopathy
Liver Tumours
- Primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)
- Cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer)
- Hepatoblastoma (pediatric)
- Liver metastases (secondary liver cancer)
- Liver adenoma
- Liver hemangioma and other benign lesions
Biliary & Pancreatic Conditions
- Gallstone disease and gallbladder polyps
- Choledocholithiasis (stones in the bile duct)
- Cholangitis (primary sclerosing and secondary)
- Bile duct tumours
- Acute and chronic pancreatitis
- Pancreatic tumours
- Gallbladder cancer
Pediatric Liver Conditions
- Biliary atresia
- Metabolic disorders in children
- Liver tumours in children
- Pediatric acute liver failure
- Rare congenital and genetic liver diseases
The Apollo Liver Diseases & Transplantation Institute offers a comprehensive range of transplant options, tailored to each patient’s condition and urgency:
- Living Donor Liver Transplant (LDLT)
- Deceased Donor Liver Transplant (DDLT)
- Split Liver Transplant
- ABO-Incompatible Liver Transplant
- Auxiliary Liver Transplant
- Combined Liver and Kidney Transplant
- Multi-Organ Transplant
- Pediatric Liver Transplant
- Robotic Surgery in Liver Transplantation
Living Donor Liver Transplant (LDLT)
A healthy family member or compatible donor gives a portion of their liver — usually the right lobe — which is transplanted into the patient. The liver has the unique ability to regenerate, allowing both donor and recipient livers to grow back to near-normal size within a few months. This option significantly reduces waiting time and allows the transplant to be planned at the right stage of the illness. Apollo Hospitals runs one of the most experienced LDLT programs in India, with outcomes matching global standards.
Deceased Donor Liver Transplant (DDLT)
In this procedure, the liver is donated by a brain-dead individual who has consented to organ donation. The organ is allocated to patients on the waiting list based on medical urgency. Apollo Hospitals Chennai has performed one of the highest numbers of deceased liver transplants in India and maintains 24/7 readiness for organ retrieval and transplantation, supported by a strong coordination network including TRANSTAN.
Split Liver Transplant
A single donor liver is surgically divided and transplanted into two recipients — usually an adult and a child — helping maximize the use of each donated organ. Apollo Hospitals has extensive experience in performing split liver transplants, including advanced procedures in this category.
ABO-Incompatible Liver Transplant
When a matching blood group donor is not available, Apollo’s team of liver experts can perform transplants across blood groups using specialized protocols to manage immune response. This expands access to transplantation, especially in urgent situations.
Auxiliary Liver Transplant
In select cases, especially acute liver failure, a partial donor liver is transplanted alongside the patient’s existing liver. This supports recovery while allowing the native liver the chance to heal. Apollo Hospitals has performed highly complex auxiliary transplants, including pediatric cases.
Combined Liver and Kidney Transplant
For patients with simultaneous end-stage liver and kidney disease, Apollo's multidisciplinary teams perform combined transplants in a single procedure, coordinating hepatobiliary and renal surgical expertise under one surgery.
Multi-Organ Transplant
In complex cases of intestinal failure and multi-organ dysfunction, Apollo Hospitals has successfully performed simultaneous liver, intestine, and pancreas transplants — the first such procedure in India — offering a lifeline where no other option exists.
Pediatric Liver Transplant
Children with biliary atresia, metabolic liver disease, acute liver failure, and inherited conditions require specialized transplant care that accounts for their size, physiology, and long-term developmental needs. Apollo Hospitals' pediatric liver transplant team has extensive experience in operating on infants and young children, with some of the youngest recipients in India being managed at Apollo.
Robotic Surgery in Liver Transplantation
Robotic-assisted surgery is an emerging advancement in liver transplantation and related liver procedures, offering greater precision, control, and minimally invasive access. Using advanced robotic systems, surgeons can perform complex parts of the surgery through smaller incisions with enhanced 3D visualization and improved dexterity. For patients, this can translate to reduced blood loss, less post-operative pain, faster recovery, and shorter hospital stays in selected cases. At Apollo, robotic technology is integrated into liver surgery where appropriate, combining surgical expertise with innovation to further improve outcomes and patient experience. Robotic surgery may be used in selected liver and hepatobiliary procedures, and in selected components of transplant-related surgery where appropriate. Their use depends on patient factors, surgical indication, and team expertise.
At the Apollo Liver Diseases & Transplantation Institute, advanced technology plays a critical role in improving precision, safety, and outcomes across liver care and transplantation — from early diagnosis to complex surgery and post-operative care.
- 320-slice CT Scanner: Provides highly detailed, fast imaging for accurate diagnosis and precise surgical planning.
- High-Resolution MRI: Offers superior soft tissue imaging, essential for evaluating liver disease, tumours, and vascular structures.
- FibroScan: A non-invasive test that measures liver stiffness to assess fibrosis and cirrhosis without the need for biopsy. Only centre with the advanced Fibroscan Expert 630 for liver screening
- Ultrasound with Elastography: Combines imaging with stiffness measurement to evaluate liver health and detect early disease.
- da Vinci Xi Robotic Surgical System: An advanced robotic platform that allows surgeons to perform complex liver procedures with enhanced precision, 3D visualization, and improved control.
- Cavitron Ultrasonic Surgical Aspirator (CUSA): Allows surgeons to selectively remove diseased liver tissue while preserving healthy structures, improving safety during complex procedures.
- OrganOx Metra Machine Perfusion System: Maintains donor livers in near-physiological conditions outside the body, improving organ viability and transplant success rates.
- Advanced Onco Care : Proton Therapy and Nuclear Medicine for treating liver cancer
Robotic Surgery
Apollo Hospitals offers robotic-assisted liver transplantation, combining the precision of advanced robotic technology with the expertise of our transplant specialists. Performed using the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System, this minimally invasive approach enables surgeons to operate with enhanced dexterity, three-dimensional visualisation, and greater accuracy — even in complex anatomical spaces. Patients benefit from smaller incisions, significantly reduced blood loss, and lower risk of post-operative complications. The robotic platform also supports faster recovery, shorter hospital stays, and a quicker return to normal activity compared to conventional open surgery. At Apollo, robotic liver transplantation is performed by a dedicated team of fellowship-trained surgeons with specialised training in robotic hepatobiliary procedures, ensuring world-class outcomes for every patient.
1
When is a liver transplant recommended?
A liver transplant is recommended when the liver can no longer function adequately, and all other treatment options have been exhausted or are unlikely to provide a durable benefit. Common reasons include end-stage liver disease (due to hepatitis B, hepatitis C, excessive alcohol use, or fatty liver disease), acute liver failure, certain liver tumours (particularly hepatocellular carcinoma within defined criteria), and inherited metabolic conditions in children. Your transplant team will conduct a thorough evaluation before making this recommendation.
2
What is the difference between a living donor and a deceased donor transplant?
In a living donor liver transplant (LDLT), a family member or compatible donor voluntarily donates a portion of their liver (usually the right lobe). Both the donor's remaining liver and the transplanted portion regenerate to near-normal size within a few months. In a deceased donor liver transplant (DDLT), the liver is retrieved from a deceased donor who has consented to organ donation. The choice between them depends on medical urgency, blood group compatibility, the donor's suitability, and timing. Our Institute offers other types of liver transplants as well. Our team will guide you through both options and help identify what is most appropriate for your situation.
3
How long does the transplant surgery take, and what does recovery involve?
A liver transplant surgery typically takes between 8 and 14 hours, depending on the complexity of the procedure. After surgery, patients are monitored in the dedicated Liver Intensive Care Unit (LICU) before being moved to the ward. Most patients are hospitalized for approximately 10 to 14 days post-surgery. Discharge depends on how the new liver is functioning and the patient's overall recovery. Full return to normal activities is generally expected within three to six months, though individual recovery timelines vary.
4
What is the success rate of liver transplantation at Apollo?
Apollo's liver transplant institute maintains a clinical success rate of over 95%, consistent with outcomes at the world's leading transplant centres. Individual outcomes depend on factors including the patient's pre-transplant health status, the underlying liver disease, the type of transplant, and adherence to post-transplant medications and follow-up protocols. Our team will provide you with a realistic and personalized picture of what to expect in your specific case.
5
Will the donor be safe after donating a part of their liver?
Donor safety is a non-negotiable priority at Apollo. Every potential living donor undergoes a rigorous multi-step evaluation — medical, surgical, psychological, and social before being approved. Surgery is only offered if the donor's residual liver volume is sufficient for safe function. The donated portion of the liver regenerates within a few months. Donor recovery typically takes four to six weeks. Apollo's living donor program has a strong safety record, and donors are followed closely through their recovery.
6
What medications will I need after a liver transplant, and for how long?
After a transplant, patients are placed on immunosuppressant medications which prevent the immune system from recognizing the new liver as foreign and attacking it. These medications are typically required life-long, though doses are often reduced over time as the body adjusts. Our team works closely with each patient to optimize their medication regimen, monitor side effects, and adjust doses based on regular blood tests. Adherence to the prescribed medication schedule is one of the most important factors in long-term transplant success.
7
Can liver disease return after a transplant?
In some cases, the original liver disease can recur in the transplanted liver. This is most commonly seen with hepatitis C (now highly manageable with direct-acting antiviral medicines) and metabolic-dysfunction fatty liver disease. Patients who received a transplant for hepatitis B are placed on preventive antiviral therapy. The Apollo team monitors signs of recurrence and has protocols to manage them early, giving the new liver the best chance of long-term function.
8
How does Apollo coordinate the transplant process for international patients?
Apollo has a dedicated International Patient Services team that assists with appointment scheduling, medical record review, visa, travel and accommodation arrangements, and communication with referring physicians. Once a patient is on the transplant waiting list, the team remains in close contact and ensures that when an organ becomes available, the patient can reach Apollo Chennai within the required timeframe. Our transplant coordinators are available round the clock for any concerns.
9
Is liver transplantation available under government health insurance schemes?
Yes. Apollo Hospitals Chennai has successfully performed over 50 liver transplants under the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS), enabling patients from economically disadvantaged backgrounds to access complex, life-saving care at no or reduced cost. Our patient services team can assist you in understanding your eligibility and the documentation required.
10
What dietary and lifestyle changes are required after a liver transplant?
After a transplant, patients are advised to follow a balanced, nutritious diet; avoiding raw or undercooked meat and fish (to reduce infection risk), limiting salt (to manage blood pressure), and avoiding excessive sugar and saturated fats (to maintain a healthy weight). Alcohol must be avoided entirely. Regular physical activity is encouraged as recovery progresses. A dedicated clinical dietician works with every transplant patient to create an individualized nutrition plan, both during hospitalization and after discharge.
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