On April 12, a 14-month-old became the first patient to successfully undergo a liver transplant through the Joint Liver Transplant Program of The Medical City (TMC) and Rizal Medical Center (RMC). This public-private healthcare partnership aims to make liver transplants more accessible to Filipinos.
ALSO READ: This Mom Gave A Piece Of Her Liver To Her Son, 'May Takot, Oo. Pero Walang Doubt Kung Bakit Ako'
Baby Receives First Liver Transplant Through New Program
The baby, King Leo Laurora, received a transplant through a living liver donation from his mother, Maricar Laurora.
Maricar also became the first patient in the Philippines to undergo a fully robotic donor hepatectomy with the Da Vinci Xi surgical system. She was discharged from the hospital just two days after her procedure, while her son is now recovering, according to TMC.
View this post on Instagram
The operation was performed by a team of Filipino surgeons, anesthesiologists, intensive care specialists, and nurses from TMC and RMC at The Medical City in Ortigas. Dr. Ruben Kasala, EVP and CEO of The Medical City, supported the initiative, while Dr. Vanessa de Villa, Head of the Center for Liver Health and Transplantation, presented the idea to form the TMC–RMC liver transplant team.
This successful procedure is the first outcome of the TMC–RMC partnership, launched earlier this year to expand access to liver transplantation across the country.
Dr. Stuart Bennett, President and Group CEO of The Medical City, emphasized the potential of collaboration between the government and private sector. He highlighted that such partnerships could lead to groundbreaking advancements, including the creation of a national referral center for liver transplantation.
Because liver transplants are uncommon in the Philippines, many families of children diagnosed with end-stage liver disease have had to seek treatment abroad. The program was created to change that by bringing advanced, compassionate transplant care closer to patients locally.
Click here to learn more about the signs of liver disease.
More from sp
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod
