Liver disease in children is due to viral hepatitis, drug/toxin ingestion or congenital abnormalities of the liver or bile duct. The most common condition requiring surgery is biliary atresia which is a congenital malformation of the bile ducts. The child presents with progressive jaundice usually after the second week of life. If diagnosed early, an operation called a Kasai Porto-enterostomy can be performed by specialized surgeons in a dedicated unit such as the ACLDT. Unfortunately many of these children go on to develop progressive fibrosis of the liver requiring liver transplantation. As cadaveric liver transplantation for children is extremely rare, the ACLDT performs Living Donor Liver Transplantation (LDLT). This is performed by removing a small portion of the liver (usually from a parent) and transplanting it into the child. As LDLT can be performed as a scheduled operation, the timing of the transplant when the child is in the best condition leads to excellent results. The specialists at the ACLDT have been performing such transplants for over 10 years now with excellent results.

Early diagnosis and treatment at a specialist centre such as ACLDT is extremely important if there is to be a successful outcome in these children.

Paediatric hepatology (Care of children with liver disease) is an unrecognized field in Asia, despite existing needs. A Paediatric Liver Unit is a future vision that the ACLDT is working to establish.

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