Young Woman's Life Saved by Unprecedented 11-Hour Liverless Surgery
Translated & summarized from N12 by baba
Doctors at Ichilov Medical Center in Tel Aviv performed an unprecedented surgery, saving a young woman's life by removing her diseased liver and keeping her alive for 11 hours before transplanting a fatty liver deemed unsuitable for normal procedures. The organ was tested on a perfusion machine, proving viable for transplantation. This complex case involved multiple rare medical decisions, highlighting the use of extreme measures for critical situations.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- A young woman survived 11 hours without a liver after doctors removed it due to drug poisoning.
- Doctors transplanted a fatty liver, normally considered unsuitable, after testing it on a perfusion machine.
- The patient suffered multi-system organ failure from severe drug poisoning before the surgery.
- The procedure at Ichilov Medical Center combined several rare medical interventions.
- Physicians emphasized the treatment was for an extreme case, not standard practice.
Doctors at Ichilov Medical Center in Tel Aviv successfully saved the life of a young woman who underwent an extraordinary medical procedure, remaining without a liver for 11 hours after it was removed due to severe drug poisoning. The woman arrived at the hospital in critical condition, suffering from multi-system organ failure caused by the poisoning, which severely damaged her liver.
Facing a life-threatening situation, physicians made the difficult decision to remove the damaged liver before confirming the availability of a suitable donor organ. "Her damaged liver was killing her. We had no other choice," stated Dr. Guy Mayerovich, a senior physician at Ichilov. The team provided intensive supportive care in the ICU to keep her alive during the critical period, during which her body temperature dropped significantly as the liver's metabolic functions were absent.
Simultaneously, doctors evaluated a fatty liver, deemed unsuitable for transplantation under normal circumstances due to its high fat content (60-70%). Using an advanced perfusion machine that simulates the body's conditions, they tested the organ's function outside the body. The machine successfully demonstrated the liver's viability, allowing the surgical team to proceed with the transplant.
The successful transplantation of the previously unsuitable liver occurred after the 11-hour period the patient spent without her own organ. This complex case involved a combination of rare medical decisions: a two-stage transplant due to acute liver failure, the use of a highly fatty liver, and the removal of the diseased organ before a suitable replacement was guaranteed. Dr. Mayerovich noted that while individual elements of the procedure have been performed before, this specific combination is believed to be unprecedented.
While celebrating the successful outcome, Dr. Mayerovich emphasized that this extreme approach is reserved for critical, exceptional cases and is not a standard treatment. The patient has since recovered from the complex procedure.
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