An extraordinary operation has been performed on a seven-year-old boy with severe pancreatitis by doctors so that boy’s liver will be able to produce insulin and hence avoid diabetes. This is the first time in Australia that such a surgery has been performed. The surgery involved removal of Gary Wanganeen’s pancreas as a result of severe pancreatitis, followed by re-infusion of islet cells from the pancreas into the boy’s liver. The surgery was being planned for 18 months and included an extensive ethical review and international consultation with Dr. Balamurugan Appakalai, who is a pioneer in islet cell isolation.
Dr. Appakalai travelled from USA to oversee the entire procedure. Gastroenterologist Dr. Richard Couper who was involved in this operation said that liver should start producing insulin and improve boy’s chances of avoiding diabetes. "We think that the islet cells, which we…
