Surgeons at Leuven University Hospital have transplanted four organs into a 2-year-old toddler during one single operation. It is the first time that all the abdominal organs of a toddler have been transplanted during a single operation in Belgium. The stomach, liver, pancreas and small intestine were all transplanted in the young patient in a single operation.
The two-year-old toddler had a genetic disorder that caused a nerve problem in the intestines. As a result, the child could not absorb food in the usual way but had to do so through a catheter. The prolonged use of the catheter in turn caused infections. On top of this, the baby had liver problems. All this meant that all abdominal organs had to be replaced. The operation was a success.