B.C. economist essential to world-leading liver exchange initiative

The Banu Bedestenci Sönmez Liver Pair Exchange System has performed 144 liver exchange transplants to date, 129 of which were performed in the 13 months since the program's publication in July 2023. This achievement far exceeds the previous record of 10 liver exchange transplants. Researchers said 94 transplants were performed in the next largest program over a 13-year period.

“No other program has performed more than 10 liver exchange transplants in a year,” Sonmez said. “No other program has ever reached 100 liver transplants; this is a number we achieved in less than a year. We are now in the 70s of liver exchange transplants performed each year around the world. ~80% is done in just one center in Turkey.”

The program's ability to perform multiway exchanges (including 1 7-way exchange, 2 6-way exchanges, 3 5-way exchanges, 7 4-way exchanges, and 14 3-way exchanges) revolutionizes liver transplantation. brought about. These complex procedures overcome the challenges of donor-recipient matching and provide life-saving transplants to patients who otherwise would not receive a transplant. Among other things, the program developed by Sonmez and Yunber helps preserve transplant opportunities for multiple patients by ensuring blood type compatibility and liver graft size compatibility.

“Multi-party exchanges serve more patients who would not otherwise receive a transplant and provide better transplants than smaller exchanges or directly from compatible donors. By offering it to other patients, we overcome the difficulty of matching,” Umber said.

Umber said the institute's team will be able to use up to 14 operating rooms and about 140 medical personnel simultaneously, with up to seven directions of interaction. This capability helps oversee all transactions beyond three-way transactions and 14 of the 16 three-way exchanges in operation worldwide. Similar capabilities do not exist at any other single center, Yumber added.

Sonmez emphasized the personal importance of the program, which was created in memory of his late wife Vanu, and its success in increasing living donor transplants by more than 30 percent in the past two years.

“It means a lot to me and my son Alp Delin to create the Banu Bedestensi Sonmez Liver Pair Exchange System at Inonu University in her memory,” Sonmez said. “The success of this program, making it the most effective living donor organ exchange initiative in the world and increasing living donor transplants by more than 30 percent in the past two years, deepens our joy and connection to this cause. This journey is a tribute to Vanu's legacy and a daily reminder of her incredible strength and love.”