May 2024, Issue 111 Medical Newsletter
Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital Completes First Living Liver Transplant Surgery
| Surgery Department, Organ Transplant Coordinator Ms. Lo Tsai-Huan |
▲ Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital completed its first living liver transplant surgery on February 19, 2024.
Ms. Fang, a patient with liver cirrhosis whose liver function had deteriorated to the point where a transplant was necessary, was fortunate to receive a living liver donation from a family member. The organ transplant team at Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital performed the surgery on February 19, 2024, giving her a new lease on life. She was discharged and is recovering at home.
Ms. Fang, 54 years old, had hepatitis C compounded by occupational factors. In 2020, she was hospitalized with abdominal pain and vomiting blood. Examination revealed severe liver cirrhosis with esophageal variceal bleeding, and her health steadily declined. In March 2023, liver cancer was discovered, and she underwent transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). However, within six months the cancer recurred, requiring a second treatment. She then began the liver transplant evaluation process. Medical evaluation determined that a direct family member would be the most suitable donor. However, Ms. Fang initially refused due to blood type incompatibility concerns and because her son was divorced with two children to raise. She chose instead to wait for a deceased donor. During the waiting period, Ms. Fang's condition deteriorated with worsening jaundice, rising liver cancer markers, and severe ascites, resulting in multiple emergency room visits that threatened her life. Fortunately, after a comprehensive donor evaluation, her eldest son was found to be a suitable left-lobe liver donor. The team began systematic preparation for the living liver transplant, ultimately completing the successful donation and transplantation surgery.
Hospital Director Major General Hsieh Tsung-Pao, the lead surgeon of this transplant, has nearly 700 liver transplant cases of experience at the Tri-Service General Hospital. For this surgery, the Tri-Service General Hospital liver transplant team was specifically invited to join forces with the hospital's team. Through the team's professional expertise and collaboration, the transplant surgery took 8 hours and was highly successful. The patient is currently attending outpatient follow-up appointments.
Director Professor Hsieh Tsung-Pao stated that Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital will lead the entire Southern Region Military Hospital medical team toward becoming a regional medical center. The hospital has established the Southern Region Medical Alliance to promote medical technology exchanges and learning, cultivate attending physicians, and encourage staff to pursue advanced medical training abroad. By providing home healthcare services and community medical care, the hospital aims to become the trusted National Military Medical Center of the Southern Region.
▲ The liver transplant team of Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, together with the Tri-Service General Hospital medical team, completed the hospital's first living liver transplant surgery.
A Milestone in Living Liver Transplantation at Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital
| Surgery Department, Attending Physician Dr. Liu Hui-Pu |
The organ transplant team at Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital was personally guided and established by Director Professor Hsieh Tsung-Pao since his appointment in March 2023. On August 25, 2023, the hospital received Ministry of Health and Welfare approval to perform liver retrieval and transplantation surgery (effective from September 1, 2023 to August 31, 2029), becoming the first regional hospital in the military medical system to achieve this qualification. This represents not only a significant advancement but also the result of the medical team's relentless dedication and unwavering commitment to medical excellence.
Living liver transplant surgery has always been one of the greatest challenges in medicine. Its indications are quite strict, primarily used to treat severe liver diseases such as cirrhosis and liver cancer, representing the last hope for many patients. However, the difficulty is equally formidable, from donor screening to surgical execution and post-operative care, every step is filled with challenges.
Liver transplant surgery is typically indicated for patients with the following conditions:
1. Liver Cirrhosis: Patients with liver failure caused by long-term chronic liver disease or other causes resulting in liver tissue damage.
2. Liver Cancer: Liver cancer patients whose condition cannot be controlled through other treatments.
3. Congenital Liver Diseases: Congenital liver conditions such as hepatic cysts or hepatic fibrosis that require transplantation.
4. Acute Liver Failure: Acute liver failure caused by infection, toxins, medication, or other causes.
Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital's
first living liver transplant patient, Ms. Fang, had long suffered from hepatitis C-related liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. Due to severe nutritional imbalance, jaundice, and massive ascites, she frequently visited the emergency room. On February 19, 2024, she received her liver transplant at the hospital, with her son Mr. Chang-Chien donating a portion of his liver. The donor's atypical hepatic vascular anatomy and extremely low body weight (BMI of only 15) significantly increased the difficulty of both the surgery and post-operative care. Under Director Hsieh's leadership, the transplant team successfully overcame numerous obstacles. The donor was discharged on the sixth post-operative day with good subsequent recovery, while the recipient Ms. Fang was taken off the ventilator on the first post-operative day and transferred from the ICU to a general ward on the sixth day. With the transplant team's attentive care, her jaundice levels and liver function gradually returned to normal, and her overall physical condition improved significantly compared to before surgery. She was discharged in mid-March and continues with regular outpatient follow-up.
The success of our hospital's first living liver transplant surgery opens a door for more patients in similar situations and provides more options and hope for military personnel and civilians in the southern region.
