New Delhi, July 3 (IANS) A two-year-old Omani girl suffering from acute liver failure was literally given a new slice of life by Chennai doctors through an innovative procedure called auxiliary liver transplant.

Prior to her operation, Yasmin faced coma and eventual death.

Airlifted to Chennai and referred to liver specialist Naresh Shanmugam of the city's Global Health City hospital, Yasmin was suffering from brain swelling, blood coagulopathy, very high ammonia and jaundice.

Instead of removing her own liver and performing a full transplant, the doctors transplanted a slice of her uncle's liver. London based specialist Mohamed Rela, who pioneered this technique -which uses the organ's self-regenerative properties - at London's Kings College hospital, performed the 10 hour surgery on April 21.

According to the doctors, within next four days, the transplanted slice of liver gained some functionality.

"(If) a small portion of donor liver could be transplanted alongside the native liver; this transplanted liver would work as a temporary dialysis machine," said Shanmugam.

"When the native liver regenerates after few months time, the transplanted liver dies. The patient could (then) live with their own liver in a healthy manner," he added.

He expressed hope that Yasmin's liver would resume full functionality in another six months.