Landmark achievement brings highly complex transplant care closer to home while expanding Sri Lanka’s capacity to deliver advanced pediatric care
Sri Lanka has taken an important step forward in advanced pediatric healthcare with Hemas Hospital Wattala successfully performing the country’s first pediatric liver transplant within the private healthcare sector.
The milestone expands the treatment options available locally for children with severe liver disease and their families, while adding an important new capability to Sri Lanka’s healthcare system.
Pediatric liver transplantation is among the most complex procedures in modern medicine. Until now, families requiring such highly specialised care have faced limited local capacity in the public sector, with overseas treatment often becoming the alternative for those unable to access care within the country.
For a child requiring a transplant, time is critical. The ability to receive complex treatment within the country can reduce the clinical, financial and emotional burden placed on families during one of the most difficult periods of their lives.
The successful transplant at Hemas Hospital Wattala therefore represents more than a first for the private healthcare sector. It reflects the continued advancement of Sri Lanka’s medical capabilities and the growing ability of the country’s private healthcare system to manage increasingly complex procedures locally.
Dr. Lakith Peiris, Managing Director of Hemas Hospitals and Laboratory Chain, said:
“This is an important milestone not only for Hemas Hospitals, but for the advancement of healthcare in Sri Lanka. Highly complex procedures such as pediatric liver transplantation require significant investment in clinical expertise, infrastructure, technology and multidisciplinary care, and we are proud to have developed that capability locally.
“Our objective is to continue strengthening the level of advanced care available within Sri Lanka, complementing the capabilities of the wider healthcare system and helping more patients access world-class treatment closer to home. This is part of our broader commitment to raising healthcare standards and contributing towards a healthier nation.”
Building the capability for highly complex care
Pediatric liver transplantation requires specialist expertise, highly coordinated teamwork and facilities equipped to support a child through complex surgery and recovery.
At Hemas Hospital Wattala, specialists in liver disease, transplant surgery, anaesthesia and intensive care work alongside highly skilled, specially trained nurses and other healthcare professionals, providing coordinated care at every stage.
The hospital’s dedicated transplant facilities bring together specialised surgical equipment, anaesthesia systems and technology to closely monitor and support vital functions. These capabilities allow the teams to manage the demanding needs of transplantation, from keeping the child safe during surgery to supporting recovery afterwards.
Following surgery, children receive medical and nursing care around the clock in a dedicated, highly specialised Liver Transplant Intensive Care Unit. Close monitoring helps the team recognise changes in the child’s condition and respond promptly, while strict infection prevention measures help protect children during this vulnerable period.
Nutritional care and psychological support are also integral to the programme. Care continues beyond discharge through lifelong specialist follow-up and medicines that support the transplanted liver and the child’s long-term health.
Expertise brought together around the patient
At the heart of the programme is a multidisciplinary team bringing together expertise across hepatobiliary surgery, pediatric hepatology, gastroenterology, anaesthesia and critical care.
This integrated approach enables patients to be supported through the entire journey — from diagnosis and assessment through transplantation, intensive care, recovery and long-term monitoring.
The multidisciplinary team behind the transplant
Paediatric Hepatology
Prof. Meranthi Fernando — Consultant Paediatrician and Paediatric Hepatologist
Surgery:
Prof. Rohan Siriwardana — Consultant Gastroenterological and Hepatobiliary Surgeon
Dr. Suchintha Tillakaratne — Consultant Gastroenterological and Hepatobiliary Surgeon
Dr. Aruna Weerasuriya — Consultant Vascular Surgeon
Anaesthesia & Critical care
Prof. Bhagaya Gunetilleke — Consultant Anaesthetist and Critical Care Specialist
Dr. Chamila Liyanage — Consultant Anaesthetistand Critical Care Specialist
Dr. Rachini Kishara Withanage — Consultant Anaesthetist and Critical Care Specialist
Interventional Radiology
Dr. Chinthaka Appuhamy – Consultant Interventional Radiologist
Adult Hepatology
Dr. Uditha Dassanayake – Consultant Hepatologist
Other Specialties
Dr. Janaki Dissanayake – Transfusion Medicine Physician
Dr. Gowri Samarasekara – Consultant Nutritionist
Dr. Harshani Liyanage – Consultant Psychiatrist
Dr. Malith Atapattu, Director Medical Services and Quality of Hemas Hospitals and Laboratory Chain, said:
“A pediatric liver transplant is one of the most demanding procedures a hospital can undertake because success depends on every element of care working together seamlessly. It is not only about the surgery itself, but also the preparation, anaesthesia, critical care, advanced monitoring, infection control and specialised follow-up that comes after it.”
For the family of the young recipient, having that capability available locally carried a significance that extended well beyond the procedure itself.
“When doctors told us a transplant was our child’s only chance, fear completely paralysed us. Knowing this surgery could finally be done right here in Sri Lanka felt like a miracle. To hold our child’s hand after surgery, surrounded by family, and see life returning to their eyes without waiting for months or having to cross oceans gave us back our life.”
— Mr. and Mrs. R. M. Ratnayake, parents of the young recipient
Expanding Sri Lanka’s capacity for advanced healthcare
The introduction of pediatric liver transplantation within the private sector comes at a time when Sri Lanka continues to strengthen its ability to manage highly specialised and resource-intensive healthcare needs.
Building these capabilities locally strengthens the country’s overall healthcare ecosystem while giving more Sri Lankan patients access to advanced treatment without the considerable burden associated with travelling overseas.
For Hemas Hospitals, the achievement forms part of a broader commitment to strengthen the level of care that can be delivered within Sri Lanka.
By investing in specialised services and the infrastructure required to support them, Hemas Hospital Wattala aims to complement existing national healthcare capabilities while creating greater access to advanced medical care for Sri Lankan families.
Hemas Hospital Wattala also offers a dedicated Liver Centre with comprehensive liver care for adults and children, from non-invasive diagnostic facilities and early detection to specialist treatment, long-term disease management and advanced care, including liver transplantation.
Prabhan Gunawardena, Director General Manager, Hemas Hospital Wattala, said:
“What this achievement demonstrates is the kind of institution Hemas Hospital Wattala is becoming. We are building capabilities that go beyond conventional private healthcare and position us to take on increasingly complex and advanced areas of medicine. That depth of surgical capability is what sets Hemas apart and reflects the direction in which we are taking the organisation as we continue to raise the standard of private healthcare in Sri Lanka.”
Advanced care, closer to home
The successful pediatric liver transplant at Hemas Hospital Wattala represents both a major advancement in clinical care and an expansion of Sri Lanka’s capacity to treat some of its most vulnerable patients.
It demonstrates what becomes possible when specialised medical expertise, advanced technology, dedicated infrastructure and multidisciplinary care are brought together around a single objective — giving patients access to the care they need, when they need it.
For Sri Lankan families facing severe childhood liver disease, it means something even more immediate: a new lifeline, closer to home.