Guinness verification underway as PKLI sets record with 10 liver transplants in 23 hours

Pakistan’s medical sector has reached a major milestone as the Guinness World Records has begun reviewing a record claim submitted by the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Centre (Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute) following an extraordinary multi-transplant operation.

The claim, now under formal review by Guinness World Records, relates to a 120-member surgical team performing 10 liver transplants in just 23 hours and 20 minutes, including procedures on nine children and one adult patient.

Officials confirmed that the institute submitted detailed documentation and visual evidence of the surgeries through the official Guinness process. A verification team is also expected to visit PKLI as part of the assessment.

Speaking at a press briefing, PKLI Dean Prof. Faisal Saud Dar described the development as a “landmark breakthrough in transplantation medicine,” highlighting the scale, speed and complexity of the procedures carried out by the team.

He said the medical team successfully conducted seven Domino Liver Transplants and eight Auxiliary Partial Orthotopic Liver Transplants (APOLT) within the same 23-hour window.

Domino transplants involve using a liver removed from one patient and transplanting it into another recipient, while APOLT combines a partial donor liver with part of the patient’s own liver to support recovery and function.

According to Prof. Dar, the approach allowed nine children and one adult to receive life-saving transplants using organs from just three donors, demonstrating how advanced surgical techniques can significantly expand the reach of scarce donor organs.

He confirmed that all patients have since recovered sufficiently to be discharged and have returned home with their families.

Punjab Finance Minister Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman attended the briefing and congratulated the medical team on what was described as a historic achievement for Pakistan’s healthcare system.

PKLI Board of Governors Chairman Prof. Saeed Akhtar also noted the institute’s wider track record, stating that since its establishment it has performed over 1,175 liver transplants, 1,276 kidney transplants, and 19 bone marrow transplants.

The Guinness World Records review is now underway, with Pakistan’s medical community hopeful that the achievement will be officially recognised as a global milestone in transplant medicine.