Children’s organ transplantations

In a kidney transplantation, one of the parents can be the donor. We are aiming to increase the percentage of familial donors. Familial donors account for about 50% of all kidney transplants given to children. For a donor, giving up one kidney does not cause health complications. The most common indications for transplantation are congenital nephrotic syndrome (CNF), congenital malformations of the urinary tract and other congenital conditions.

In liver transplantations, we can reduce the size of the adult transplant to fit the child. The most common indications for a liver transplantation are biliary atresia, metabolic disorders, liver cancer, and hepatitis. Familial donors are not used for liver transplantations.

In heart and lung transplantations for young children, the donor and recipient must match in size. Because of this, the waiting time is often long. If time is running short, we can support the recipient’s heart with an artificial heart for a few months. The most common indications for a heart transplantation are congenital heart defects and cardiomyopathy. 

Indications for a lung transplantation for a child include severe heart defects, a pulmonary vascular disorder or cystic fibrosis. 

The most common diseases requiring intestinal transplantation are short-bowel syndrome, intestinal motility disorder, and rare intestinal mucosal diseases and tumors. 

Intestinal transplantation is considered when, in addition to failure of bowel function, there are serious complications associated with parenteral nutrition. 

Since a suitable donor must be at least 20% lighter in weight than the recipient, the waiting list for transplants is long for children.