BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBMA) — Children’s of Alabama, in partnership with the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Division of Transplantation, announced it successfully performed a rare split-liver transplantation.
The hospital said this marks the first time in nearly a decade that this life-saving technique has been used within the Children’s and UAB collaboration.
The hospital said the split-liver transplantation allows a single deceased-donor liver to be divided and transplanted into two recipients at separate hospitals. This approach is particularly beneficial for pediatric patients who rely on Children’s nationally recognized liver transplant program.
The operation was led by UAB Assistant Professors of Surgery, Saulat Sheikh, M.B.B.S., and Marcos Pozo Jatem, M.D., alongside Children’s of Alabama’s multidisciplinary transplant teams. The procedure required advanced machine perfusion technology to preserve the donor liver and extensive logistical planning for the out-of-state donor operation.
Dr. Marcos Pozo Jatem, Surgical Director of the Pediatric Liver Transplant Program at Children’s of Alabama, said, “This achievement represents the culmination of extensive preparation, education, and protocol development across multiple teams.” He highlighted the collaboration with various departments, including the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, hepatology, anesthesiology, pharmacy, nutrition, nephrology, and interventional radiology. A new intraoperative dialysis protocol was also created to ensure the procedure’s safety for critically ill patients.
Dr. Pozo acknowledged the essential contributions of several team members, including Meloneysa Hubbard, MSN, CRNP, CCTC, who secured the use of machine normothermic perfusion; patient care coordinators Robin Greer, MSN, CPNP, and Julia Roberson, CRNP; and transplant surgery OR team leader Shannetta Simon, RN. “The availability of machine perfusion technology is a major advancement,” Dr. Pozo added. “It allows us to accept organs from across the country without increasing cold storage time, helping us maintain the highest possible viability of donated livers.”
The hospital said additional key contributors included David Willcutts, M.D., Assistant Professor of Pediatrics; Jeremy Loberger, M.D., Associate Professor in the PICU; and David Askenazi, M.D., MSPH, Professor of Nephrology.
Dr. Sheikh, who also serves as Surgical Director of UAB’s Living Donor Liver Transplant Program, stated, “This successful split-liver transplantation is a significant milestone and an important step toward expanding access for many more patients on our waitlist. It reflects the extraordinary dedication of our jointly staffed teams at both Children’s of Alabama and UAB.”
