Dr. Vivekanandan Shanmugam
Managing Trustee – Chennai Liver Foundation
Dr Vivekanandan is a leading liver transplant surgeon who currently resides in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. His thriving career spans over 18 years, and he has completed over 750 successful liver transplant surgery. He states that the unparalleled contentment of seeing his patients get back to their everyday lives is one of the main factors that keeps his journey going.
The Vision
For Chennai Liver Foundation, his vision is to educate the masses and control the increasing rate of all liver diseases, which are accountable for approximately 2 million deaths worldwide. He and the team at Chennai Liver Foundation hope to control and reduce the mortality rate through various programmes, drives and community outreach programs that include educating the public and creating awareness, free screening for liver disease and providing vaccinations against hepatitis.
As for RPS hospitals, his vision is to provide high-quality treatment to all that is affordable and accessible. He also desires to expand the Liver hospital to accommodate and provide care to more people in the coming years.
Education & Training
● MRCS, Royal College of Edinburgh, May 2002
● MBBS, Annamalai University, India, July 1996
Speciality Interests
● Hepatobiliary surgeries
● Gastrointestinal diseases
Achievements
● Co-founder & Managing trustee, Chennai Liver Foundation
Work Experience
- Managing Director, Liver Transplant Surgeon, RPS, Chennai,
- Lead Liver Transplant Surgeon, SIMS, Chennai, September 2019-present
- Head of The Liver Unit, Kauvery Hospitals, Chennai, May 2018-July 2019
- Head, KMCH Liver Unit, Coimbatore 2014-2018
- Senior Consultant, Institute of Liver Diseases, Global Hospitals, India, 2010-2014
- Fellowship -Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Asan Medical Centre, Seoul, 2010
- Specialist Registrar, Sheila Sherlock Liver Centre, Royal Free Hospital, London, 2008-2010
- Specialist Registrar, The Liver Unit, Queen Elizabeth Hospitals, Birmingham, 2006-2008
- Specialist Registrar, West Midlands Surgical Rotation, Birmingham, UK, 2002-2006
Clinical Expertise
With my experience of over 15 years and getting trained in several high-volume centres, we have been performing transplant and complex cancer surgeries with excellent results. The list of surgeries, though not exhaustive, includes
- Cadaveric Liver transplantation
- Living donor Liver Transplantation
- Paediatric Liver Transplantation
- Split Liver Transplantation
- Domino Liver Transplantation
- Liver Cancer surgeries
- Pancreatic cancer Surgery
- Surgery for Cholangiocarcinoma
The journey
After completing my UG at Rajah Muthiah Medical College and my PG from Madras Medical College, I went straight to the United Kingdom, where I pursued my higher surgical training to complete my MRCS & FRCS
During this period, I trained as a Liver Transplant Surgeon at the prestigious Liver Unit, Queen Elizabeth University Hospitals and The Sheila Sherlock Liver Centre, The Royal Free Hospital, London. They are the busiest Liver units across Europe.
I was trained in Living Donor Liver Transplantation at The Asan Medical Centre, Seoul, the UK, which performs over 400 Liver transplants annually.
Since returning to India, I have been involved in over 750 Liver transplants and have been instrumental in setting up multiple Liver units locally and abroad. I was recognised with an Award of Appreciation by the Govt of Tamil Nadu in 2017 for my contribution to the field of transplantation in Tamil Nādu.
I usually start my day playing badminton or cycling. This helps me to be energised throughout the day. I spend my leisure time reading books. I make it a point to read at least 10 pages every day.
I also love to travel, and I often plan trips with my family & friends. Every year I look forward to exploring new places, catching up on some life goals, and allowing me to meet people and make new friends.
With my association with Chennai Liver Foundation, most of my weekends are filled with spreading awareness about liver diseases and its prevention. We do free screening and advice the proper treatment to all those in the rural communities.
Achievements
- I have trained many surgeons and am one of the Founders of The Liver Transplant Society of India.
- Architect of a certified hands-on training course for budding Liver surgeons and trained over 300 of them
- Managing trustee of Chennai Liver Foundation, the largest NGO to create liver diseases in India.
Clinics
1. Gastro care hospital, Trichy – 7358764200
2. Dharan Hospital, Salem – 7358764200
3. Hindustan Hospital, Coimbatore – 9894520345
4. Gunam Super specialty Hospitals, Hosur – 9894520345
5. KS Hospital, Dharmapuri – 9894520345
6. Liver Clinic,Tirukoilor – 7358764200
7. Liver Clinic, RPS hospitals,Chennai – 7358764200
8. Manakula Vinayagar Hospital, Puducherry – 9894520345
Certificates
Research Papers & Publications
- “Economic Evaluation of Implementing a Decentralised Hepatitis B VIrus Diagnostic Intervention under the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme in Tamil Nadu, South India,” Tropical medicine & International Health, 2021
- “Prevalence of hepatitis B and hepatitis C infection from a population-based study in Southern India,” Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol, 2018
- “Sequential Liver & Kidney Transplant from a Single Live Donor for Primary Hyperoxaluria,” Transplantation, 2018
- “Functional SFS Presenting as Isolated Cholestasis, Managed with Splenic Artery Embolization,” Transplantation, 2018
- “Transdiaphragmatic Echocardiography as a Rescue in Liver Transplantation,” J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth, 2018
- “Post Reperfusion Bronchospasm in a Deceased Donor Liver Transplant Recipient: An Enigma. Ind J of Anesthesia, 2017
- “Tuberculosis in Liver Transplant Recipients: Experience of a South Indian Liver Transplant Center,” Liver Transplant, 2014
- “Novel en-bloc Resection of Locally Advanced Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma: the Rex Recess Approach,” Hepatobiliary Pancreat Dis Int, 2014
- “Middle Hepatic Vein to Middle Hepatic Vein Anastomosis in Right Lobe Living Donor Liver transplantation,” Liver Transplant, 2013
- “Perioperative Bacterial Infections in Deceased Donor and Living Donor Liver Transplant Recipients,” Journal of Clinical & Experimental Hepatology, 2012
- “Tacrolimus Dose – Do Indians Need Much Lesser Than the Recommended Dose?,” Liver Transplant, 2013
- “Approach to Combined Liver and Kidney Transplantation,” Liver Transplant, 2013
- “An Uncommon and Fatal Complication of Bariatric Surgery,” Journal of Clinical & Experimental Hepatology, 2013
- “Atypical Presentations of Autoimmune Hepatitis (AIH), Journal of Clinical & Experimental Hepatology,” 2013
- “Coronary Artery Disease in Patients with End-stage Liver Disease,” Journal of Clinical & Experimental Hepatology, 2013
- “Is There Still a Role for Pre-operative Liver Biopsy for the Potential Liver Related Liver donor?” Journal of Clinical & Experimental Hepatology, 2012
- “Selective Policy of Inferior Right Hepatic Vein Reconstruction in Right Lobe Living Donor Liver Transplantation does not affect Post-transplant Graft Outcomes,” Journal of Clinical & Experimental Hepatology, 2013
- “Tuberculosis in Liver Transplant recipients,” Journal of Clinical & Experimental Hepatology, 2013
- “Aetiology and Outcome of Acute Liver Failure,” HPB, 2009
- “Liver Retransplantation- A 25-year Single Centre Experience, HPB, 2010
- “Fulminant Liver Failure and Liver Retransplantation,” Liver Transpl, 2009
- “Long-term Outcome Following Sequential Resections of Liver and Lung Metastases from Colorectal Carcinoma,” HPB, 2009
- “Aetiology and Outcome of Acute Liver Failure,” HPB, 2009
- “Spontaneous Rupture of the Non-malignant Liver: Our 13-year experience, HPB, 2009
- “Long-term Outcome Following Sequential Resections of Liver and Lung Metastases from Colorectal Carcinoma, British Journal of Surgery, 2008
- “Presentation and Outcomes for Ampullary Adenoma Compared to Ampullary Adenoca,” British Journal of Surgery, 2008
- “Chronic Type B Dissecting Aortoiliac Aneurysm Repair Complicated by Congenital Pelvic Kidney,” Journal of Vascular Surgery, 2008
- “Management of Upper Limb Arterial Injury without Angiography,” Chennai Experience, Injury, 2004
- “A Case of Large Oesophageal Mucocele after Surgical Isolation,” Trop Gastroenterol, 1999
- “Bilateral Carotid Body Tumour,” Indian Journal of Surgery, 2002
- “Biliary Cystadenoma- A case report,” Trop Gastroenterol, 2002
- “Extra Osseous Ewing’s Sarcoma,” Trop Gastroenterol, 2002;
- “Book Chapter – Surgical Options in Cancer Oesophagus in Cancer Oesophagus published by the Department of Digestive Health & Diseases, Government Peripheral Hospital, 2001.