First Liver Transplant on a Seven-Month-Old Infant Performed in Uzbekistan

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — For the first time in the country’s history, a liver transplant was successfully performed on a seven-month-old infant at the National Pediatric Medical Center of Uzbekistan, the Ministry of Health reported.

Previously, the center had successfully carried out bone marrow and liver transplants in older children, laparoscopic kidney transplants, and stem cell collection from peripheral blood. However, surgeries on infants under one year of age had not yet been performed in Uzbekistan.

“This is a significant milestone not only for the National Pediatric Medical Center but for the entire healthcare system of the country. Performing such high-tech operations on such young patients is possible in only a limited number of countries,” said the center’s director, Bakhtiyorjon Umarov.

The donor for the infant’s liver was his mother, Magfura Aminova from Gurlen, Khorezm Region. After compatibility tests and medical examinations, two liver segments were transplanted to the child.

According to medical staff, the mother is fully healthy and has already been discharged from the hospital. The infant is in satisfactory condition and is being prepared for discharge in the near future.

For reference, the first liver transplant in the country for an adult patient from a relative donor was performed in February 2018 at the Republican Specialized Scientific and Practical Medical Center of Surgery named after Academician V. Vakhidov.