There Is Life for Babies Too

There Is Life for Babies Too

There Is Life for Babies Too: Kent's youngest patient was 15 days old; the experience of 278 infant and child liver transplants was shared at the World Congress.

At the congress in Prague, which brought together physicians from around the world who work in liver transplantation, İzmir Kent Hospital shared its experience of 278 infant and child cases, the youngest of whom was 15 days old. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Kılıç said: “Türkiye continues its European leadership in living-donor liver transplantation, in both children and adults. It is a source of pride that this has been presented at the World Congress.”

The World Congress on Liver Transplantation (ILTS – International Liver Transplantation Society) this year took place from 24 to 27 May in

Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. At the World Congress, attended by physicians from 76 countries, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Kılıç, Head of the Liver Transplantation Department at İzmir Kent Hospital, together with team members Op. Dr. Cahit Yılmaz and Op. Dr. Zaza Iakobadze, took part with 4 papers. Noting that 278 of the 945 liver transplants they have performed at Kent in 8 years were in infants and children, and that they shared their experience in this field at the congress, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kılıç said:

THE YOUNGEST WAS 15 DAYS OLD

“In paediatric transplants, in cases where the bile ducts are congenitally absent (biliary atresia), we create a pathway from the intestine to the liver. In cases other than biliary atresia, the bile ducts are present. In these cases we highlighted the technique in which the bile ducts are used. Op. Dr. Iakobadze described this technique in his oral presentation. The high number of our infant and child cases and our experience in this field attracted a great deal of attention and interest. We are the centre that performs the most infant and child transplants in Türkiye. In our case series we have 107 cases of transplants in children under one year of age, the youngest being 15 days old. Our survival rate is 90 percent, and this rate is not below the world average. As a country, the point we have reached in living-donor liver transplantation is a source of pride. We perform a higher number of infant and child liver transplants than European countries. In both numbers and success rate, Türkiye has become the leader of Europe. We too were honoured to take part in this forum with our success and experience, particularly in infant and child transplants, and to be able to share them.”

THE ABSENCE OF AN EXTRA CHARGE IS VERY IMPORTANT

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kılıç also reminded that liver transplants are among the services the Ministry of Health provides in private hospitals under SGK coverage. Kılıç said: “It is a great advantage that transplants are performed under SGK coverage, without the patient paying an extra charge. In this way patients can easily reach private hospitals. The experienced teams in private hospitals can also bring this experience to the field and pass it on. After all, this is a public service. It is work done without regard to the difference between a private and a state hospital, and that is how we see the work we do.”