The Philippine’s medical system has stepped up another level as the success of the first-ever pediatric liver transplant scattered on the news. It was two years ago when two parents came rushing from one hospital to another, begging for financial assistance for their child’s operations. The patient, Catherine Erica Buenaventura, (who was then 1 year old) was suffering from a very uncommon disease – the liver cirrhosis. It was a very desperate moment for the Buenaventura parents to see their child suffering from the end-stage disease back then. If an operation was not done, their precious daughter might have been dead a long time ago.
Aside from the financial crisis that the Buenaventuras had to go through, they also risked in choosing to let their child undergo a liver operation. According to The Medical City’s director, Dr. Ma. Vanessa de Villa, the history of the liver transplant in the country is not that good. According to the doctor, the patients who went through liver transplant, only one survived aside from Erica and the rest died a month up to a span of a year after the operation. To think that the patient is just a one-year old child will add up to the risks that the parents and doctors have to take. However, on January 7 this year, a miracle happened when a surgical team of 11 members performed the liver transplant to Erika.
Even better, the operation which was worth P4.5-million was sponsored by the TMC and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). The operation started at around 7 a.m. which consisted of removing the entire liver of the patient and replacing it with a graft from the liver taken from the patient’s uncle, Jefferson Llantino. Early the following day, the operation was brought to a successful end – meaning, without any conflicts and incidents during the said operation.
During the days of recovery, the doctors are seeing improvements as Erica’s appetite and strength are slowly getting better. Aside from the main provider of life and health, God Almighty, the operation wouldn’t have been successful if it weren’t for the hospital’s established P32-million Center for Liver Disease Management and Transplantation. This is something that patients of liver disease will have their hopes up for. The center boasts of comprehensive facility that provides patients an higher extent of surgical and medical expertise through the state-of-the-art services, not to mention the skillful doctors who are ready to put their knowledge into application.
Knowing that this is the first pediatric liver transplant ever done, and it turned out to be successful, the country’s medical system is sure to be rising into a higher level. This is a good news that Filipino people should be thankful for!