Historical Success: First combined liver and kidney transplant in Bulgaria

Historical breakthrough in transplantology

For the first time in Bulgaria, a successful combined liver and kidney transplant has been performed. The unique surgery was carried out at the Military Medical Academy (MMA) by a team of leading specialists. The patient is a 20-year-old man with congenital hepatic fibrosis and polycystic kidney disease.

The noble decision of the relatives of a 20-year-old donor who suffered brain death gave a chance for life to several people in need.

Details about the complex intervention

• Liver transplant: The team of Prof. Nikola Vladov, Prof. Vasil Mihaylov, and Dr. Tsvetan Trichkov operated for 5 hours.
• Kidney transplant: The team of Prof. Iliya Saltirov, Assoc. Prof. Svetozar Marangozov, Dr. Ognyan Gatsev, and Dr. Viktoriya Todorova performed the second part for about 4 hours.

At the moment, the patient is in a satisfactory condition, responsive and conscious. At the same time, the donor's organs saved two more patients – a 41-year-old man received a heart, and a 22-year-old man – a kidney.

Statistics

As of August 5, 2024, there are 902 people waiting on the lists of the Executive Agency "Medical Supervision" for organ transplantation.