Mother Saves Daughter in Greece’s Second Ever Liver Transplant

Following on from the father-daughter liver transplant three months ago – the first liver transplant from a living donor in Greece – a mother has now done the same for her daughter.

The new liver transplant from a living donor, a mother-daughter pairing from Ioannina, also took place at the Laiko Hospital, under a scientific team led by the Professor of Surgery and Transplantation of the School of Medicine of the National University of Athens, Mr George Sotiropoulos.

The father and daughter from Crete, the first donor-recipient pair to undergo such a procedure in Greece, are reportedly enjoying a new lease on life, after the 23-year-old Eleni had a successful graft from her father Spyros.

This second liver transplant from a living donor in Greece took place last Friday (March 29), and now, as reported by ygeiamou.gr, the donor and recipient are recovering very well in Laiko.

Background on the Second Liver Transplant

The 42-year-old mother donated the right lobe of her liver to her 21-year-old daughter, who was suffering from liver cirrhosis caused by cystic fibrosis. The daughter was diagnosed with the condition at the age of four months.

At the age of 15, she began to have adverse symptoms in her lungs, after remaining relatively symptom-free for some time. Not long after her lungs began to suffer, liver cirrhosis was diagnosed and her breathing became more labored due to a coronavirus infection.

The young patient is having follow-up checks for cystic fibrosis at the Sismanoglio Hospital, by pulmonologist Mrs Diamantea, and for liver cirrhosis at the Laiko Hospital, by hepatologist Mr Hologita.

Supposedly, the 42-year-old mother began to explore medical options for a transplant for her daughter after hearing about the success of the first liver transplant in Greece. She contacted Laiko and Professor Sotiropoulou’s team was fast-acting, signing off on all the necessary measures to ensure this transplant could go ahead.

The procedure went smoothly, both with the removal of the right lobe and its transplantation into the 21-year-old patient. Mother and daughter were treated in the ICU, with no need for incubation after the surgery.

The contribution of the medical staff was critical, Mr Sotiropoulou told a Greek media source, “Many people came in off-duty in order to operate an extra operating room last Friday. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all the medical and nursing staff at the Laiko Hospital who were involved in the whole process.”

Adding, “I especially thank my fellow surgeons, anesthesiologists, intensivists, hepatologists, hematologists and radiologists, nurses in the operating room, anesthesia department, intensive care unit and transplant ward, the transplant coordinators, the paramedical and technological staff and the hospital’s management for their efforts and the important contribution of each of them from their positions.”