MakatiMed conducts first living donor liver transplant

South Korea’s Asan Medical Center supported the procedure.

Philippines’ Makati Medical Center (MakatiMed) has performed its first living donor liver transplantation.

The operations were carried out through the hospital’s surgical, anaesthesia, nursing, and critical care teams, with support from a 10-member delegation of liver transplant specialists from South Korea’s Asan Medical Center.

The recipient was a 23-year-old patient suffering from end-stage liver disease caused by recurrent sclerosing cholangitis, a condition characterised by inflammation and scarring of the bile ducts.

The patient had experienced multiple intensive care unit admissions due to sepsis before the procedure.

Meanwhile, the donor has a history of abdominal gunshot wound and multiple prior operations, combined with unusual vascular anatomy.

Despite the challenges, both surgeries were completed successfully without the need for blood transfusion, MakatiMed said.