Pediatric patient is 1 of 3 in the U.S. to receive heart, lungs and liver in one operation
HOUSTON – Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston has performed the hospital’s
first triple-organ transplant on a 16-year-old Brenham resident. The patient,
Taylor Sherrouse, underwent a 13-hour surgery on Tuesday, June 22 to replace
her heart, lungs and liver, which had been severely damaged by cystic fibrosis.
Taylor is one of only three pediatric patients in the country this decade to
receive heart, lungs and liver in one operation. Taylor is recovering well and
is scheduled to be discharged this week. To view a video of Taylor’s
journey, see: http://bit.ly/tripletransplanttaylor.
Jeffrey S. Heinle, MD, surgical director of
Texas Children’s heart and lung transplantation program, performed the
heart-and-double-lung portion of the transplant, which lasted more than nine
hours. Once the heart and lungs were transplanted, Dr. John Goss, director of
the liver transplant programs at Texas Children’s and associate professor
at Baylor College of Medicine, performed a three and a half hour liver
transplant.
“The triple combination of heart-lung-liver transplantation is a rare
pediatric procedure, in this country,” said Heinle, who is also an assistant
professor of surgery at Baylor College of Medicine. “We are extremely
pleased with Taylor’s progress. We believe this operation will give her
an opportunity for a good quality of life and a chance to fulfill some of her
dreams. Without the three organs, her long-term outlook was not good.”
Taylor has been
treated for cystic fibrosis at Texas Children’s for 12 years.
During that time, she has suffered recurring liver problems or respiratory
infections that landed her in the hospital for weeks at a time. Doctors worked
hard to keep her condition stable, but her lungs and liver continued to worsen.
In early November
2009, she was admitted to Texas Children’s with a lung infection. Even
though she hoped to be home by Thanksgiving, she was never able to leave the
hospital. During those seven months, her liver and lungs were getting
progressively worse with an added complication of a severe heart problem.
Cardiologists diagnosed a restrictive cardiomyopathy, meaning that her heart
muscle was stiff and chambers could not properly fill with blood. On June 11,
doctors listed her for a triple organ transplant.
In the dawn hours
of June 22, Taylor learned that three suitable organs had become available, and
she was taken to be prepped for the rare transplantation.
“Taylor’s
recovery has been going amazingly well,” said Dr. George Mallory,
pediatric pulmonologist at Texas Children’s and associate professor at
Baylor College of Medicine. “This triple-organ surgery highlights the
critical need for small donor organs in this country that can save more young
lives,” said Mallory. “We are grateful for families who donate
organs, and our regional organ procurement partner, LifeGift. We work together
to save children whose organs are so damaged that transplantation is the only
life-saving option.”
Texas Children’s
History of Transplantation
Texas
Children’s Hospital runs an active transplantation program in heart,
lungs, liver, kidney and bone morrow for pediatric patients. In 1984, Dr.
Denton A. Cooley performed the first pediatric heart transplant on a
9-month-old female patient. She lived to be 13 years old. Since that time, the
heart transplant program has grown into one of the largest and most successful
program of its kind in the nation, averaging 12 to 15 transplants per year.
The Pediatric
Liver Transplant Program, founded July 1, 2000, has performed 192 pediatric
transplants since its inception. So far this year, 13 patients have been
transplanted with 12 other patients on the waiting list.
The Pediatric Lung
Transplant Program, founded in 2002 by pediatric pulmonologist, Dr. George
Mallory and pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. E. Dean McKenzie, is one of
only five pediatric lung transplant centers in the country. In the eight years,
the center has transplanted 101 patients, ranging from babies to teens. This
year’s count stands at 11 patients transplanted with six patients on a
wait list.
In addition to transplanting
single organs, Texas Children’s has transplanted nine other pediatric
patients with double organs such as heart-lungs, heart-kidney and lungs-liver.
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading …
Posted in 
Add to Google