[Expats & Ailments] Mongolian Children Undergo Liver Transplant Surgery in Shanghai

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Credit: Cai Wenjun / Shanghai Daily

Caption: The children from Mongolia and their parents express their gratitude to the medical staff from Renji Hospital.

Renji Hospital has treated two children from Mongolia diagnosed with congenital biliary atresia. Both have undergone successful surgery and recovered smoothly, the hospital said on Wednesday.

This follows last February's medical cooperation memorandum with Mongolia to advance children's liver transplantation, teleconsultation, and medical talent training.

The first case involves a boy who was diagnosed at 28 days old. Unable to receive surgery in Mongolia, the child was transferred to Renji Hospital in September with the support of charitable donations.

"The boy was in critical condition due to cirrhosis induced by the illness. His father was a match and willing to donate. However, we identified highly complex vascular variations in the father's liver. Utilizing our independently developed vascular reconstruction technology, we completed the transplant. The surgery lasted only six hours, and both the father and child recovered uneventfully," Renji President Dr Xia Qiang said.

This marks the first time Renji has treated a pediatric liver transplant patient from Mongolia. The child and his parents returned to Renji this week for follow-up checks.

"We are deeply grateful to the medical staff in Shanghai, who have saved our son's life. We just celebrated his first birthday three days ago. We are happy that he is healthy," the mother said.

The second case is an 8-month-old girl confirmed with the disease in February and admitted to Renji in March. She received a portion of her aunt's liver and is recovering well, poised for early discharge.

Since treating its first international pediatric liver transplant patient – a 4-year-old girl from Malaysia – in 2014, Renji Hospital has provided liver transplants for nearly 80 expatriate children. As China's largest liver transplantation center and the world's leading pediatric liver transplantation center, it has been ranked among the world's top facilities for pediatric surgery for the past 12 years. With over 8,000 liver transplants performed (including more than 4,000 on children), its 10-year pediatric survival rate exceeds 90 percent, placing it among the global elite.

"Renji stands out due to its robust medical capabilities, high survival rates, and competitive pricing. We are enhancing services to facilitate international medical tourism by offering multi-language support, convenient payment options, and a medical team with global vision and expertise," Dr Xia Qiang said.