First liver transplantation perfomed in Kazakhstan

The staff of the National Research Center named after Alexander Syzganov and their colleagues from Belarus performed the first liver transplantation surgery in Kazakhstan, KazTAG reports. “The team at Syzganov Research Center is happy to announce that on December 9 a liver transplantation was performed in Kazakhstan for the first time. The surgery was performed by a group of surgeons from Belarus and the surgery required application of the most complicated transplantation technique available. The transplantation involved two close relatives,” Director of the Center Zhetkergen Arzykulov said in an online conference call with the Minister of Healthcare Salidat Kairbekova on December 12. According to him, the operation was performed by two teams of surgeons, it lasted for 12 hours instead of 20 that were initially planned. “Today the patients are stable considering the complexity of the surgery. One patient can walk in the resuscitation department, and the other is able to sit. Overall everything is going according as planed," Arzykulov said noting that 50 members of the center's staff took part in the operation. According to Yuriy Slobodin, head of Transplantation Department of the National Research and Practice Center of Organ and Tissue Transplantation of Belarus, the operation was very challenging, as the liver transplantation involved a consanguineous donor. “The liver transplantation itself is one of the most difficult surgeries, whereas the liver transplantation from a living donor is twice as challenging because the team of surgeons are also responsible for the donor condition to make sure that the donor is healthy and stays this way after the operation is finished. So the goal set was to perform such an operation in Kazakhstan,” he noted. He also informed that the patient was a 33-year old female diagnosed with primary biliary cirrhosis. The donor was her 38-year old sister, whose liver's right part was transplanted to the patient. According to Slobodin, the Belorussian surgeons are planning to further work together with the Kazakh Syzganov Center. The Belorussian surgeons have particularly offered their help in the development program of liver, kidney and heart transplantation and hepatopancreatobiliary surgery. Belorussian surgeons were also interested in Kazakh experience in surgeries on esophagus and micro-vessels. Minister of Health Kairbekova stressed that cooperation would certainly be discussed. “We will get in touch with Belarus in a couple of weeks, all the question related to collaboration – who, where and when we can learn – will be addressed and settled,” she said. Kairbekova also said that the Belorussians surgeons would be awarded with medals for the successful liver transplantation operation, and the contribution into development of transplantology in Kazakhstan. The relevant resolution has already been signed.