South Korean hospital successfully transplants infant donor kidney into adult patient

Surgeons at Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital have achieved a remarkable feat, successfully transplanting a kidney from a minuscule infant donor into an adult patient suffering from end-stage renal disease. The donor organ, measuring a mere 6 centimeters, presented a formidable surgical challenge due to its exceptionally small size and extremely fine blood vessels.

The transplant team rapidly mobilized after receiving news of the potential donor, a brain-dead infant from Jeju Island. They traveled quickly to secure the organ, minimizing ischemic time before returning to Cheonan for the intricate procedure. The surgery demanded high-level microsurgical skills to ensure stable blood flow, with the medical team meticulously analyzing the organ's dimensions and vascular structure beforehand.

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The blood vessels were so thin that even the slightest error was unacceptable. The organ transplant team's rich experience and multidisciplinary collaboration led to a good result.

Led by surgeon Lee Hyun-yong, a team of specialists collaborated closely from organ procurement through post-operative care. The surgery concluded successfully, with the patient's kidney function stabilizing and showing a healthy recovery. The patient was discharged in good health late last month.

This groundbreaking procedure, involving the simultaneous transplantation of both sides of a kidney that was less than half the size of an adult kidney, has garnered attention within the medical community. Bae Sang-ho, director of the organ transplant center, emphasized the surgery's complexity, stating, "The blood vessels were so thin that even the slightest error was unacceptable." He credited the team's extensive experience and multidisciplinary approach for the positive outcome. Hospital director Lee Moon-soo lauded the "noble life-sharing of the organ donor and the professionalism of the medical staff," vowing to further enhance the hospital's advanced organ transplant capabilities to serve regional patients.

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It is a valuable fruit born from the noble life-sharing of the organ donor and the professionalism of the medical staff. We will do our best to further strengthen our high-level organ transplant capabilities so that regional transplant patients can receive high-quality treatment nearby.