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Specialty : Liver Transplant
City : Chennai
Hospital : Dr. Rela Institute and Medical Centre
Degree(s) : MBBS; MS (General Surgery); FRCS (Edinburgh); DSc (Honoris Causa)
Other Degree(s) : • Chairman & Managing Director, Rela Institute & Medical Centre (also known as Dr. Rela Hospital), Chennai • President, Liver Transplant Society of India (LTSI • Councilor (South/Southeast Asia), The Transplantation Society (TTS). • Executive Council Member, International Living Donor Liver Transplantation Study Group (iLDLT Group). • Associate Editor, American Journal of Transplantation. • Founder & Trustee, National Foundation for Liver Research (NFLR).
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Brief Profile :
Professor Mohamed Rela stands among the most distinguished surgeons globally in the realm of liver transplantation and complex hepatopancreato-biliary surgery. Born in a small village in Tamil Nadu, he brought together his roots in Indian medical training with advanced surgical exposure in the United Kingdom — forging a career that bridges continents, techniques and innovations
After obtaining his MBBS and MS in General Surgery at the University of Madras (Stanley Medical College) in Chennai, he travelled to the UK, earning further credentials including the MS (Edinburgh) and the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (FRCS) in 1988
For close to three decades, he worked at King’s College Hospital, London — where he rose through the ranks to become Professor of Liver Surgery and Transplantation. During his tenure there, he pioneered advanced surgical techniques including auxiliary liver transplantation, split-liver transplantation (where one donor liver is divided for two recipients) and living?donor liver transplantation.
A hallmark of his career was a liver transplant performed on a five-day-old infant in December 1997 — a milestone that secured his inclusion in the Guinness Book of World Records. Over his career he has performed over 4,500 liver transplants and contributed to thousands more through institutional programs. In India, Professor Rela returned with the vision of bringing international-standard transplant care to his home country. He spearheaded the development of the Institute of Liver Disease & Transplantation in Chennai, turning it into one of India’s largest liver transplant programmes — executing over 1,500 transplants in a relatively short span.
He later established the Rela Institute & Medical Centre in Chromepet, Chennai — a quaternary care facility with a focus on multi-organ transplantation and allied advanced services. With a deep commitment to education and research, he has authored hundreds of peer-reviewed publications and book chapters in transplant and HPB surgery. His affiliations span major transplant and surgery societies globally, and he serves as a mentor to the next generation of surgeons.
Professor Rela’s philosophy centres on merging clinical excellence with compassionate care. He believes in making high-end transplant services accessible, ethical and patient-centric while maintaining world-class standards of infrastructure, research and multidisciplinary teamwork
His work not only transforms individual lives through life-saving surgeries, but also elevates the national healthcare landscape by building institutional capacity, training specialists and innovating in surgical methods. For patients facing the most complex liver and HPB conditions, his record and expertise provide a strong foundation of confidence and hope.
Key Highlights:
alongside high-volume clinical care.