Turkish Hospital's Liver Transplant Program Saves Babies Life

By Mohamed Taki - Medical Research Editor | March 21st, 2012

Baby L. was a 10 months old baby who needed a liver transplant because of biliary atresia. Tests showed she had a rare liver condition known as biliary atresia, which occurs when bile ducts inside or outside the liver do not develop normally. Bile flow from the liver was blocked, which can be deadly.
An operation called the Kasai procedure was performed to connect the liver to the small intestine, bypassing the abnormal ducts.

At first, it seemed to work. But before long, the digestion problems and yellowness returned. X-rays, ultrasounds, blood tests and biopsies all pointed to one thing: liver transplantation.

The buoyant little one who had waved her hands and kicked her legs and always loved to smile, became restless and often cried in pain. Medications did little to liven up her spirits or pacify her.

It was concluded that the only solution for her survival is liver transplantation. An operation using the liver of a deceased donor seemed less and less likely, as no compatible matches could be found and liver transplantation was not possible in her parent’s country. They began their search for a medical destination that offers a safe and high-quality health care service at an affordable cost. They were lucky enough to find Memorial Health Group in Turkey.

After correspondence with Memorial Hospital, parents made the necessary tests and her father came for a visit to the hospital and discussed his daughter’s treatment with Dr. Koray Acar.

The patient’s father was impressed with the hospital’s advanced technology and the professional staff. He decided to let his daughter undergo liver transplant in Turkey; but first he had to find a compatible, blood relative liver donor.

Family members were tested and none of them were eligible for being a donor either because of the size of their liver, blood group, or other diseases.

And then a cousin of the father gave the good news and he was ready to donate a part of his liver to the baby girl.

All arrangements were efficiently made by Memorial Hospital patient coordinators. For long term stay, they arranged an apartment for the family and were picked up at the airport.

Many tests were run to assure the baby’s health and donor’s eligibility. All medical evaluations were done very sensitively by a complete team of liver transplant and finally everything settled. They were ready to perform the surgery.

After a successful operation under supervision of Dr. Munci Kalayoglu and Dr. Koray Acarli, the baby girl had a second chance of life. The liver donor was discharged within a couple of days without any medical complications.

Baby girl was under close supervision for nearly 15 days admitted at the hospital.

The liver transplant carried out at Memorial Hospital in Turkey corrected a condition called biliary atresia, which had blocked development of the baby's bile ducts and caused cirrhosis and jaundice.

The baby patient had several medical check-ups to ensure she is in a healthy condition to leave the hospital.
Parents expressed their gratitude to Memorial Hospital, Dr. Munci Kalayoglu, Dr. Koray Acarli and the whole medical staff who participated in the treatment of their baby daughter. They were overwhelmed with joy to go home with their healthy baby. Doctors at Memorial Hospital stated that it is crucial that the baby grows to be a healthy, normal girl.

Giving life to another person is the ultimate gift one person can give to another.

Contact Memorial Hospital Group of Turkey to learn more about the organ transplant programs for liver, kidney, and bone marrow.