Prof. Michal Grąt: - To date, all liver fragment donations from living donors have been performed using the classic method, through an abdominal skin incision under the rib arches. The introduction of minimally invasive access allows for a faster return to activity, further reduction in the risk of complications and a reduction in pain in the post-operative period for healthy individuals choosing to donate a fragment of their own liver for a child. The donor was discharged from the hospital seven days after surgery without complications. The liver fragment was used for transplantation in a 2-year-old child, for whom transplantation was the only chance for survival. The organ became functional immediately after transplantation. The child is already at home with his parents. The transplantation was performed more than a month ago.
463 liver donations
Transplantation of liver fragments taken from a living donor now accounts for more than half of all liver transplants in children in Poland. Thanks to the cooperation with the Department of Pediatric Surgery and Organ Transplantation of the Children's Memorial Health Institute, headed by Prof. Piotr Kaliciński, since 1999, the Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery MUW has performed 463 liver fragment harvesting from living donors, which have been used for transplantation in children. Nearly 25 years of cooperation between the two transplant centers has made it possible to significantly increase the availability of liver transplantation in children and reduce mortality on the waiting list.
Advantages of minimally invasive access
The use of minimally invasive access for harvesting liver fragments from living donors is another milestone in Polish transplantology. The performance of this operation was made possible by the experience resulting from the program of liver fragment harvesting by the classical method and the program of laparoscopic liver resections in the Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery.
Composition of the operating team
The operation was performed by Prof. Michał Grąt, assisted by Prof. Waldemar Patkowski, Maciej Krasnodębski, MD, PhD, and Paweł Rykowski, MD. The anesthesia was performed by Dr. Marta Dec. Circulating nurses Marzena Kaczmarska, MA, and Anna Anyszkiewicz, MA, and a nurse anesthetist Ewa Gniatkowska, participated in the procedure. The liver fragment was transplanted at the Children's Health Center by Prof. Piotr Kaliciński's team.