Received a Partial Liver Transplantation from Father at Asan Medical Center in 1994, Enjoying 30 Years of Health

Asan Medical Center Leads the World with Over 7,000 Living Donor Liver Transplantation and a 98% Success Rate

"Living Donor Liver Transplantation is the Optimal Treatment for Ensuring Long-Term Survival and Quality of Life in End-Stage Liver Disease Patients"

▲ Ms. Ji-won Lee celebrates the 30th anniversary of living donor liver transplantation with Endowed-Chair Professor Sung-Gyu (left) and Professor Kyung Mo Kim during a commemorative photo session.

On December 8, 1994, a 9-month-old baby suffering from congenital biliary atresia, a condition causing the liver to harden, received a quarter of her father’s liver. In a moment of tense anticipation, as the medical team restored blood flow, the pale transplanted liver began to turn a healthy red inside the baby’s abdomen. Blood pumped from the baby’s heart flowed smoothly into the transplanted organ, marking the success of South Korea’s first living donor liver transplantation. This historic achievement was made possible by the tireless dedication of the medical team, who conducted countless simulations, and the unwavering determination of the baby’s parents, who selflessly donated to save their child’s life.

Ms. Ji-won Lee, the recipient of South Korea’s first living donor liver transplantation, underwent the procedure at Asan Medical Center in 1994, receiving a portion of her father’s liver. This year, she celebrates her 30th birthday in good health. Inspired by the success of Ms. Lee’s pediatric living donor liver transplantation, Asan Medical Center has since given new life to 7,398 patients (7,038 adults and 360 children) through living donor liver transplantation as of December 24 last year, a record unmatched worldwide.

Living donor liver transplantation is more complex and carries a higher risk of complications compared to deceased donor liver transplantation, making it challenging to ensure high survival rates. However, Asan Medical Center has performed 85% of its liver transplantation as living donor procedures to save more critically ill patients. Over the past five years, Asan Medical Center has conducted an average of 400 living donor liver transplantation annually, with most involving high-risk cases. Despite this, Asan Medical Center has achieved world-leading survival rates, 98% at 1 year, 90% at 3 years, and 89% at 10 years, setting a global benchmark in liver transplantation outcomes.

An analysis of 93 pediatric patients who underwent living donor liver transplantation at Asan Medical Center between 2012 and 2020 revealed exceptional survival rates, 100% at 1 year and 98.6% at 5 years. These figures represent a significant improvement compared to the survival rates of 92.9% at 1 year and 92.0% at 5 years for 113 pediatric patients treated between 2003 and 2011. This remarkable progress is attributed to the advanced multidisciplinary collaboration and intensive care systems before and after surgery of Asan Medical Center. A dedicated multidisciplinary team, including pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition specialists, addresses pre-transplant issues comprehensively, while post-transplant patients receive tailored, intensive care in the pediatric intensive care unit to ensure optimal outcomes.

Asan Medical Center has introduced groundbreaking surgical techniques to the global liver transplantation community to save more patients with end-stage liver disease. In 1998, Endowed-Chair Professor Sung-Gyu Lee of the Division of Liver Transplantation and Hepatobiliary Surgery at Asan Medical Center developed the modified right lobe living donor liver transplantation, which has since become the standard procedure worldwide. Additionally, in 2000, the hospital performed the world's first dual living donor liver transplantation, enabling successful transplants even when a single donor's liver was insufficient.

Endowed-Chair Professor Sung-Gyu Lee remarked, “The living donor liver transplantation performed in December 1994 to save a 9-month-old baby paved the way for over 7,000 patients with end-stage liver disease to receive new life through this procedure. These miracles were made possible thanks to the dedication, courage, and passion of the liver transplant team, as well as the remarkable resilience of patients who have gone on to lead vibrant lives after surgery.”

Professor Kyung Mo Kim of the Department of Pediatrics stated, “These 30 years are not only a testament to the dedication and hard work of the medical staff but also to the unwavering efforts of patients and their families who placed their trust in us and followed through with care. The successful lives of recipients serve as invaluable proof of hope for children and families who will undergo transplantation in the future.”

<Patient did not consent to being featured in broadcast. Unauthorized use of the photo is prohibited.>