A pioneering operation
The procedure, which was performed earlier this year, was complicated and involved dividing an organ taken from a deceased donor and transplanting the right part of the liver for one adult recipient and the left part of the liver for a second adult recipient. The procedure involved 15 surgeons, two anesthesiologists, a radiologist, five female operating-theater attendant , and four female anesthetists. Both liver fragments took up function after transplantation, and the patients were discharged home in good condition, with no postoperative complications. Read more about the pioneering operation in the article.
Team success
The team from the Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery UCC MUW, led by Prof. Michał Grąt, received the award in the Event of the Year category. The justification for the award reads as follows: "The method is an opportunity for liver transplantation for low-weight patients who are particularly at risk of death due to a long wait for transplantation. The start of the split liver transplantation program will allow an increase in the number of procedures, which is extremely important given the insufficient number of donors."
- It's hard to find another event with such a team effort as this transplantation - said Prof. Michal Grąt, receiving the award. - Therefore, I would like to thank my team very much. It was their commitment and determination that made it possible for us to perform this transplantation.
World-class transplantology
- We are the center that started the transplant program in Poland - says Prof. Zbigniew Gaciong, Rector of MUW. And recalls: - In 1966, the first successful kidney transplantation in Poland was performed at the Infant Jesus Clinical Hospital on Lindley Street, which was the beginning of transplantology in our country. I am glad that we continue to have such great success in this field. Huge congratulations.
As Prof. Michal Grąt points out, the biggest limitation in transplantology in Poland, especially in life-saving transplants, is the shortage of donors. And yet no one needs to be convinced that each additional transplantation means one saved patient. - Since the surgery, we have so far managed to perform 12 such operations - explains Prof. Grąt. - We have divided six livers. This seems like a small number, but it should be remembered that the largest, most experienced centers in the world have performed this rare operation a total of dozens of times over the years. So it seems that even though we started very recently, we will soon join the ranks of these centers.
Professor Grąt stresses that the department has perfected the technique of performing this transplantation, the perioperative procedure, and the qualification process. Therefore, it can already be considered a standard approach to liver transplantation at UCC MUW, especially in small size recipients when the highest quality livers are used.
Starting a program of split liver transplantation was a huge medical and organizational challenge, made possible by the experience of the team of the Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery UCC MUW in liver and biliary tract surgery. Therefore, the award is a great honor.
- We feel honored as a team and are pleased that this effort of ours has been recognized by the community in Poland - says Prof. Grąt. - But there are still many ambitious plans ahead for our department's team - he adds. - The most important are the start of a living donor liver transplantation program for adults, the further development of laparoscopic liver fragment donations from living donors for children, and the development of transplant oncology by introducing innovative methods of liver transplantation for colorectal metastases.
Other distinguished
This year's winners were selected by a panel consisting of, among others, winners of previous editions, representatives of various health care sectors and representatives of the editors of the Health Market. Awards were presented in the categories: Health Market Manager, Health Market Physician, Health Market Event. The winners included doctors, health care managers and programs associated with the implementation of innovative treatments. The honorees included Maciej Miłkowski, Deputy Minister of Health, Tomasz Stefaniak, MD, PhD, Director of Medical Affairs at the University Clinical Center in Gdańsk, Prof. Witold Rzyman, Head of the Department of Thoracic Surgery of the Medical University of Gdańsk at the University Clinical Center in Gdańsk.
The Portraits of Polish Medicine were presented on October 16 at a gala ceremony held as part of the Health Market Forum 2023.
Photo: PTWT, source: www.rynekzdrowia.pl