Liver as a gift. The world's first dual-mummy organs by unique methodology is conducted

New Atlas writes about a unique operation. In focus, technology appeared its Telegram channel. Subscribe to not miss the most info and interesting news from the world of science! Two weeks after Adriana gave birth to her third child, she had an emergency medical situation, called the coronary artery stratification - a rupture of the main artery of the heart. Usually, such breaks heal by themselves with medication.

Unfortunately, in the case of Adriana, the gap led to severe heart failure that was not treated. As a result, she had to resort to the apparatus called the system of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), which assumed the work of heart and lungs on blood pumping and oxygen saturation. This situation was a temporary decision; The end point was to be a heart transplant. However, a recent pregnancy has complicated the situation. According to Dr.

Shin Lyn, a cardiologist at the University of Washington Medical School, the likelihood that Adriana's body has rejected a new heart was 99%. This is due to the fact that during pregnancy in the body of women, antibodies against foreign substances are produced, in this case the antigens of the child's father. These antibodies will not harm the baby, but in the case of transplantation, they would probably be attacked by a new organ.

Faced with a huge problem in finding a perfectly suitable heart donor for a similar situation, in medical circles called an "immunological twin", Dr. Lin decided to take an unprecedented step, inspired by the results of a study conducted in 2021. The scientific work, which served the foundation of the doctor's decision, showed that patients who were transplanted both the heart and the liver have a high level of protection against organ rejection.

Despite the fact that Adriana's liver was healthy, Dr. Lin believed that its replacement could significantly increase her chances of taking a new heart. This new approach was called the "heart transplant after the liver" (PSPP-D), where "D" indicated the work of the procedure on the principle of "Domino", in other words-to a specific sequence of organ transplantation. The uniqueness of the method was that the healthy liver of the Adriana transplanted to another patient who needed it.

Thus, the unusual step potentially saved not one but two lives. Dr. Jay Pal, a cardiootoracal surgeon who participated in the operation, confessed that the lack of consciousness of this procedure raised doubts about the team. However, given the desperate circumstances, they still decided to act. The complex surgery took 17 hours. Having transplanted a new heart and liver, as well as implanting the liver to another patient, a team of doctors kept breathing, waiting for their bold plan.

Everything was put at stake - from a person's invaluable life to a medical career of every doctor who participated in surgery. Time passed, the body of Adriana resisted and produced antibodies, but the aggressive rejection of new organs was not recorded. And finally, with a great relief of doctors, 65 days after surgery, he no longer produced antibodies against new organs, which testified to the success of transplantation.

Despite such an interesting result, the team confesses that he does not quite understand why the PPPP-D procedure was successful. Daniel Fishbein, a specialist in the heart failure, emphasizes the importance of understanding the "miracle" under the procedure, in the hope of developing future treatments that could imitate its effect without the need to use a true organ and uncertainty about the result of surgery.

This unusual and, in its own way, the revolutionary operation not only saved Adriana's life, but also opened a new head in organ transplantation. It gives a ray of hope to other patients who are in a similar situation and opens the path to innovative approaches to treatment in the future.

However, it is important to remember that additional research and analysis of a successful surgery are required to understand and repeat the successful result before the doctors will be able to go to such a risky step again.

In the meantime, Adriana's history remains a wonderful testimony to the miracles of medical science, the courage of doctors, the importance of scientific research and the courage of a young mother, who agreed to a similar adventure, contrary to all uncertainty to get a chance to see the adulthood of her three children. Earlier, focus wrote about the development of new stem cells that allow you to safely transplant the heart.