ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, April 27, 1996 TAG: 9604290015
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: MIAMI
SOURCE: Associated Press
Surgeons replaced a functioning liver in a 17-year-old girl when she got a multiple transplant and gave her liver to another patient in what was described as the country's first-ever ``domino'' liver transplant.
The liver transplant was done to make it easier for the girl to receive large and small intestines, doctors said. Since all the organs she received were from the same donor cadaver, the new liver's size was more compatible with the other new organs, and its transplantation reduced the risk of rejection.
The girl suffered from a rare condition called intestinal pseudo obstruction in which food no longer moved through her gastrointestinal tract, said University of Miami School of Medicine spokeswoman Mitra Zehtab. The 17-year-old's liver went to a gunshot victim getting her second new liver. The first failed, Zehtab said Thursday.
The operations were performed April 11 but not announced until Friday.
The 17-year-old girl and the other patient, whose age and name were not available, were in critical but stable condition Friday and all of their organs were functioning normally.at Jackson Memorial Hospital.
``They took my liver, and they gave it to someone else,'' a pigtailed Rondie, clutching a fluffy pink rabbit, said Friday from her hospital room. ``That was neat. A special thing.''
The procedure, which has been performed at least twice in Portugal, could have important implications for the future of organ donation. It could reduce the number of organs wasted in multi-organ transplants, experts say.
``Domino liver transplantation can utilize organs that would otherwise be wasted and maximize the benefits of modern technology for the greatest good,'' said Dr. Andreas G. Tzakis, one of the surgeons.
``Ultimately, we hope to have saved lives and made the best use of what we had, especially given the shortage of donor organs that exists.''
The operation was the first of its kind in the United States involving a liver, said Joel Newman of the United Network for Organ Sharing. The Richmond, Va.-based group serves as the national clearinghouse for organ donors and recipients.
In the past, doctors have simply discarded the healthy liver of an intestine-liver transplant recipient or sent it to a lab for study.
Rondie's liver was a perfect fit and type for the woman needing a liver.
Doctors hope that the operation will enable Rondie to return home to Reading, Pa., and spend her time like any other teen-ager. For the rest of her life, however, she will have to take anti-rejection medication, which can suppress the immune system and make her more vulnerable to illness.
LENGTH: Medium: 54 linesby CNB