Domino Transplant Allows Child With Rare Liver Disease To Receive New Organ, Pass His on to Another Patient Waiting for Liver Donor

Dual transplant the first such pediatric procedure at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC

PITTSBURGH — July 18, 2007 — Transplant surgeons at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC have performed their first-ever domino liver transplant involving a pediatric recipient. Domino transplants allow surgeons to perform two life-saving transplants from one deceased organ donor.

In Children’s first-ever pediatric case, performed late last month, a liver from a deceased donorwas transplanted into a 9-year-old with maple syrup urine disease (MSUD). His liver was then transplanted into a 24-year-old patient from Saudi Arabia without passing on the disease. The transplants were led by surgeon George V. Mazariegos, MD, director of Pediatric Transplantation at Children’s Hillman Center for Pediatric Transplantation.

Domino transplants are so named for the sequential nature of the transplants — an organ from a deceased donor is transplanted into the first recipient. The first recipient’s organ is then transplanted into a second recipient. Last year, Children’s surgeons were involved in a domino transplant involving two adult recipients. Read the full Press Release.

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