Yerbol Shaikhiyev. deputy Director General of Syzganov National Scientific Surgery Center. Photo by Alisher Akhmetov©
Transplantation to four patients from one donor was made in Syzganov National Scientific Surgery Center in Almaty for the first time in Kazakhstan, Tengrinews.kz reports. The surgeries helped save the lives of the patients who needed urgent transplantation. The highly qualified teams of surgeons spent the total 28 hours operating. Liver transplantation was the longest among the surgeries: it lasted for 17 hours. According to the doctors, the donor family’s gave consent for the organs transplantation prior to the surgery. Heart, liver and two kidneys were transplanted to four patients from a woman who died from apoplexy on July 3 and 4, 2013. 100 doctors, including 22 surgeons, took part in the surgeries. “The number of people shows that such surgeries cannot be made without special preparations. We had several teams of doctors, including surgeons, anesthesiologists, operating theater technicians and nurses and even ambulance drivers,” deputy Director General of the Center Yerbol Shaikhiyev said. The doctors received information about the available donor from the National Coordination Center for Transplantology that is responsible for prompt notification of doctors of availability of donors and working with their relatives. The organs were taken by doctors of Syzganov Surgery Center. According to Shaikhiyev, if relatives were more willing to consent, around 3 thousand people could become donors in Kazakhstan every year. “It is good for people to know that in the tragic moments they can make the right decision and save other peoples lives by consenting to donate organs of the family members they've lost. Legal mechanism are in place to do this in Kazakhstan,” the doctor said. The mega surgery was held free of charge. Seidulla Kokenov, a relative of one of the patients who received the liver said that it was one of the last chances for his family. Kokenov had no more than 6 months to live. The patient was transferred from Kyzylorda oblast, as local doctors could not cope with his liver cirrhosis. The transplanting went well, he is already walking and will be ready to be discharged from the hospital soon, the doctors say. Kazakhstan society is not yet ready for postmortem organ recovery, doctors note. “We have had 20 potential donors over the past 6 months. But in all 20 cases the family members refused from organs recovery, some of them were even aggressive,” Shaikhiyev said. Meanwhile, up to 3.5 thousand people are waiting for transplantation, including 200 patients requiring new heart and the same number in need of liver. According to Shaikhiyev, most of the patients on the waitlist do not make it to transplantation. Many of them turn to foreign doctors. “The only good thing is that liver can be transplanted from relatives as only a part of the liver is taken from a live donor. But postmortem transplantation should be developing in Kazakhstan, as this is the safest way,” Shaikhiyev said. By Alisher Akhmetov
Transplantation to four patients from one donor was made in Syzganov National Scientific Surgery Center in Almaty for the first time in Kazakhstan, Tengrinews.kz reports. The surgeries helped save the lives of the patients who needed urgent transplantation. The highly qualified teams of surgeons spent the total 28 hours operating. Liver transplantation was the longest among the surgeries: it lasted for 17 hours. According to the doctors, the donor family’s gave consent for the organs transplantation prior to the surgery.
Heart, liver and two kidneys were transplanted to four patients from a woman who died from apoplexy on July 3 and 4, 2013. 100 doctors, including 22 surgeons, took part in the surgeries.
“The number of people shows that such surgeries cannot be made without special preparations. We had several teams of doctors, including surgeons, anesthesiologists, operating theater technicians and nurses and even ambulance drivers,” deputy Director General of the Center Yerbol Shaikhiyev said.
The doctors received information about the available donor from the National Coordination Center for Transplantology that is responsible for prompt notification of doctors of availability of donors and working with their relatives. The organs were taken by doctors of Syzganov Surgery Center.
According to Shaikhiyev, if relatives were more willing to consent, around 3 thousand people could become donors in Kazakhstan every year. “It is good for people to know that in the tragic moments they can make the right decision and save other peoples lives by consenting to donate organs of the family members they've lost. Legal mechanism are in place to do this in Kazakhstan,” the doctor said.
The mega surgery was held free of charge. Seidulla Kokenov, a relative of one of the patients who received the liver said that it was one of the last chances for his family. Kokenov had no more than 6 months to live. The patient was transferred from Kyzylorda oblast, as local doctors could not cope with his liver cirrhosis. The transplanting went well, he is already walking and will be ready to be discharged from the hospital soon, the doctors say.
Kazakhstan society is not yet ready for postmortem organ recovery, doctors note. “We have had 20 potential donors over the past 6 months. But in all 20 cases the family members refused from organs recovery, some of them were even aggressive,” Shaikhiyev said. Meanwhile, up to 3.5 thousand people are waiting for transplantation, including 200 patients requiring new heart and the same number in need of liver. According to Shaikhiyev, most of the patients on the waitlist do not make it to transplantation. Many of them turn to foreign doctors. “The only good thing is that liver can be transplanted from relatives as only a part of the liver is taken from a live donor. But postmortem transplantation should be developing in Kazakhstan, as this is the safest way,” Shaikhiyev said.
By Alisher Akhmetov