A unique operation for a small intestine transplant is done in Russia

Alexey Gadko, a patient of the Sklifosovsky Institute, dreams of returning home as soon as possible, which will now forever remain in the history of this medical institution and the Russian medical science. He became the first patient in Russia to successfully withstand the transplantation of the small intestine.

Almost a year, Alexei lived in a hospital ward, where time seemed to be frozen. Initially, they were waiting for the appearance of the donor, then they watched how the alien organ gets accustomed to the human body. The operation itself was carried out at the Sklifosovsky Institute at the end of the winter of this year. It lasted 9 hours. And then there were months of recovery under the supervision of dozens of doctors who fought for the return of Alexei to ordinary life.

And just now, in June, doctors confidently declared: a fragment of the donor's intestine is not rejected by the patient's body, which feels fine and is preparing to leave the clinic. Now he can walk independently, and most importantly - to eat. But so far, Alexei is still hard to believe that all the experience is over.

Operational interventions of this kind in the world are single. Not only is the transplantation of this organ very difficult, but it suffers immunity. And it happens more strongly, than at transplantation, for example, kidneys. About 90% of such patients leave their lives within the next few postoperative days. The problem is that the microflora of the transplanted organ has a greater infectious potential, much more significant than in any other place in the body. Receiving a donor fragment of the intestine, the risk of the patient doubles. To save the life of the patient, doctors prescribe to him strong medicines. At the same time, it is required to maintain equilibrium, because the body must save the possibility of independent struggle.

Native Alexei Gadko knew about the sad statistics, but the belief in luck and the hope of a miracle did not leave them. Now Alexei is preparing for an extract, looking forward to returning to his home in Krasnodar. Of course, he will have to follow a strict diet, but after all that has gone through it seems inconsequential.

Specialists of the Institute. Sklifosovsky hopes that soon the time will come when doctors will learn how to grow fragments of the small intestine from the patient's own cellular material. Then, during their transplantation, a lot of problems will disappear. Risks that exist now, with the further development of cellular technologies, can be completely eliminated.