HGF performs two liver transplants on the same day with funding from different cities in the interior

April 25, 2024 – 09:12
liver HGF organs transplant

Reference in the procedure, HGF performed 56 liver transplants in 2023

In just one day, two livers were collected in different cities in the interior of the State, brought to the Capital and transplanted at the General Hospital of Fortaleza (HGF). The first organ was collected last Wednesday morning (18), at the Hospital Regional do Vale do Jaguaribe (HRVJ), in Limoeiro do Norte; the second, in the afternoon, at the Northern Regional Hospital (HRN), in Sobral. All hospital units are part of the Ceará Health Department (Sesa).

“Liver transplantation is very complicated, as the ischemia time [período em que o órgão consegue manter suas atividades fora do corpo humano] it’s short. In other words, the entire procedure needs to be carried out in the shortest possible time”, explains Emmanuel Nogueira, liver surgeon at HGF. “If the kidney doesn’t work, the patient has hemodialysis to resort to. If the liver doesn’t work, there’s nothing you can do. Or do we provide intensive support to see if he [o órgão] works again or the patient has to wait for a new organ”, he adds.

For capture procedures in the interior of the State, two surgeons and two perfusion nurses from HGF always accompany the crew.

To guarantee the logistics of capturing in inland units, there are two partnerships. In regional hospitals whose cities have an airport, the Sesa Transplant Center has support from the Ceará State Government Civil House plane. In cities without an airport, the flight is carried out by helicopter, with the support of the Integrated Air Operations Coordination (Ciopaer), linked to the Secretariat of Public Security and Social Defense of the State of Ceará (SSPDS). For the procedure, two surgeons and two perfusion nurses always accompany the crew.

Regionalization of assistance

For the surgeon and general director of the HGF, Ivelise Brasil, the availability and speed of organ harvesting in interior cities shows the progress in the regionalization of the Sesa Network’s services. “The investment in units in the interior of Ceará is a strong point of the secretariat, both in structure and qualification, and in the standardization of care protocols. This allows procedures to be carried out much faster and safer,” she highlights.

In the center of the photo, Francisco Franklin Memória, HGF’s first liver transplant patient at one of the service’s annual celebrations

Ivelise was responsible for the first liver transplant carried out at HGF, in December 2009. The transplant recipient was commercial representative Francisco Franklin Memória, aged 67 at the time.

Ceará stands out in liver transplantation

Since then, the equipment has gained prominence in carrying out the procedure and even receiving patients from other states. In 2023, 56 liver transplants were performed at HGF. From the beginning of this year to date, the unit has already recorded 17 organ transplants. The accumulated total of procedures is 649.

According to data from the Brazilian Association of Organ Transplants (ABTO), Ceará occupied the first position among the North and Northeast states in the number of liver transplants in 2023, with 210 procedures performed.

According to the Ceará State Transplant Center, in 2024, the State has already carried out 569 organ and tissue transplants, 68 of which are liver transplants.

How to become an organ donor

To donate organs, the person simply needs to let their family know about their desire. If something happens and that person suffers brain death, the family will authorize the donation. The organs that can be transplanted in Ceará are: kidney, liver, corneas, pancreas, heart and lung. A single donor can save up to six lives.