A unique operation has been successfully performed at Okhmatdyt: a five-month-old baby has had a liver transplant from his mother. This was reported by the National Children's Specialized Hospital of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine "Okhmatdyt", UNN reports.
The first monosegmental liver transplant from an adult in Ukraine for a patient of this age was performed. And it was the only chance for the boy to survive
It is reported that the child was born prematurely, at 36 weeks of pregnancy. She was diagnosed with a rare malformation - biliary atresia, in which the gallbladder and bile ducts in the liver are absent. As a result, toxins begin to accumulate in the liver, which quickly leads to cirrhosis. Unfortunately, the diagnosis was made too late, so it was impossible to avoid transplantation. A boy named Matvey was admitted to Okhmatdyt when he was four months old.
The child arrived at the hospital in critical condition. His kidneys also began to fail due to liver failure. A team of intensive care physicians, resuscitators, and nephrologists fought for the boy's life for more than a week, using special equipment that temporarily performed the functions of the kidneys and liver. When his condition was stabilized, the doctors decided to perform a transplant.
For this complex operation, Okhmatdyt doctors consulted with colleagues from Japan and Korea to choose the best approach for Matviy.
We performed a complicated liver transplant, choosing the segment that was optimal for Matviy's little body. Mono-segmental liver transplantation from an adult donor requires very precise calculations, because the organ must match the weight and physiological characteristics of the child. Matviy's donor was his mother, whose liver was ideal for this extremely complicated operation. The lobe we transplanted weighed 118 grams
The transplantation lasted almost a day: first, they took the organ from the mother, and then transplanted it into the boy.
After the transplant, Matviy went through a difficult period of rehabilitation. It was only on the third day that his mother was able to see her son, who was connected to numerous catheters and tubes.
Matvey and I have been fighting since his birth. And now, after the transplant, we are finally going home, although we will still be under medical supervision. I am grateful to all our specialists and the Okhmatdyt team for their support
The boy has already been discharged home. For the next six months, he will undergo regular examinations under the supervision of Okhmatdyt specialists. The doctors will monitor all the necessary indicators and adjust the tests.
Recall
A girl with a rare disease called Wilson-Konovalov was urgently transplanted with a liver from her military uncle. A year ago, Polina's mother became a posthumous organ donor, saving four people.