Shanghai Hospital Performs First Liver Transplant on Filipino Child, Giving Him a New Lease on Life

Shanghai Hospital Performs First Liver Transplant on Filipino Child

A 2-year-old Filipino boy named Nieco has received a new lease on life thanks to a successful liver transplant performed at Renji Hospital in Shanghai. This landmark surgery marks a significant milestone in medical cooperation between China and the Philippines.

Nieco suffered from congenital biliary atresia, a condition that led to cirrhosis and put his life at risk. With limited medical resources in the Philippines, his family faced a bleak outlook. However, through a partnership between Renji Hospital and the Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center in Manila, a team of experts was assembled to perform a living donor liver transplant.

Nieco's father generously volunteered to donate a portion of his liver, and the complex six-hour surgery was led by Xia Qiang, president of Renji Hospital and a renowned academician. The operation was a success, giving Nieco a chance to live a healthy life.

"Renji Hospital not only gave my child a new life, but also made us feel the warmth of home," said Nieco's father, expressing his gratitude.

Renji Hospital, renowned for its pediatric liver transplant program, has performed over 3,800 such procedures with exceptional success rates. The hospital is committed to sharing its expertise and technology with Southeast Asia, upholding the principle that "medicine knows no borders."

In 2019, Renji Hospital partnered with the University of Malaya Medical Centre in Malaysia to establish an overseas office and training program for pediatric living donor liver transplantation. Over the past decade, the hospital has trained over 50 specialists from Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia, and has facilitated the first pediatric living donor liver transplant in Malaysia.

The successful liver transplant performed on Nieco marks a new chapter in China-Philippines medical cooperation, moving from technology export to system co-construction. This collaboration aligns with both nations' strategic development goals and provides a vital lifeline for patients in Southeast Asia.

Renji Hospital plans to establish a China-Philippines medical internet hospital cloud platform to facilitate case sharing, remote consultations, and other digital services, extending the reach of Chinese healthcare solutions to more patients in the region.