First successful pediatric heart and liver transplant in state takes place

Talk about it

MILWAUKEE - Wisconsin’s first successful pediatric heart-and-liver transplant is expected to be announced today.

Milwaukee Children’s Hospital performed the operation on a 15-year-old Chicago boy in late February – and he’s scheduled to go home today. Hospital spokeswoman Gerry Steele said the youngster had the double transplant to relieve complications from a complex congenital heart disease. His heart disease caused problems with his liver.

The boy has been getting occasional treatments at Children’s Hospital since 2009. He was originally a candidate for a heart transplant – and he was put on the heart-and-liver transplant list three months ago. The Organ Procurement Network said only nine pediatric heart-liver transplants were performed throughout the country as of the end of January. And only 100 adult heart-liver transplants have been done throughout the country, including one in Milwaukee.

Experts say the health risks for a double transplant are much higher than for either procedure alone.

Tags: news, wisconsin, health