Dr. Rodrigo Vianna performs liver transplant in Pequeno Príncipe

One of the world´s top surgeons for liver and multivisceral transplants, he participated in the procedure which resumed the service at the Hospital

On the 27th of January, Pequeno Príncipe Hospital's Operation Room received an honored guest: surgeon Rodrigo Vianna, director of the Miami Transplant Institute (MTI) in the United States. Along with Pequeno Príncipe Hospital's team, the surgeon performed a liver transplant on a one-year-old patient, resuming the hepatic transplants in the institution.

The Miami Transplant Institute, the largest transplant hospital in the United States, reached the record of liver transplants procedures completed in one year; in 2019, there were 747. As well as directing the institution, Vianna is also internationally renowned for the technique innovations that drastically reduce the length of time of liver transplant surgeries.

"The surgery performed in Pequeno Príncipe was very difficult, because the patient was very sick. But we're pleased with the result. It was very important to me to be a part of this moment because I'm from Curitiba and Pequeno Príncipe Hospital is very special to me. It's very rewarding to work with such high qualified professionals and share new insights," he stated.

It is estimated that there will be 10 transplants over the year of 2020 in Pequeno Príncipe. "We already have seven patients with recommendations for this type of transplant," shared Giovana Camargo de Almeida, from the transplant team.

In the last few years, she has accompanied Dr. Rodrigo Vianna's team in MTI, as well as participated in training in other North-American centers to improve her skills. "In comparison to North America, Brazilian patients don't always have a favorable social status. That's why we have to offer careful and broad work to ensure that the patient has condition to recover in an adequate environment after surgery, guaranteeing the procedure's success," she points out. 

Just like in the United States, Pequeno Príncipe's transplant team is multidisciplinary and includes surgeons, hepatologists, anesthesiologists, intensivists, nurses, pharmacists, psychologists and social workers. "There are 22 professionals directly involved with the transplanted patients," she explained.

The service is focused on small children, such as babies up to one-year-old, because in Paraná there aren't any other institutions that offer transplants to children in this age range. "There are services for older children, but children of this age are unassisted," confirmed Giovana.

Mathias' story

In his first pediatric appointment, Mathias Fernandez Baião Wagner, who was only 10 days old, was sent to Ministro Costa Cavalcanti Hospital, in Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná. The baby's yellow skin color was an indication of liver problems, a diagnosis that was confirmed 30 days later in Curitiba's Hospital de Clínicas, when he underwent a surgery to try to solve the problem. However, the procedure didn't have the expected results and the baby became a candidate for a liver transplant.

The donor was his father, 19-year-old Vitor Fernando Wagner who decided to go through the procedure, even though he knew the maternal grandmother was also compatible. "It's the father's role, we always want to see our child healthy and then we do whatever it takes; he's what matters most," he shared.

On the 27th of January, he entered Curitiba's Santa Casa de Misericórdia's Operation Room, located two kilometers from Pequeno Príncipe. Because it's an exclusively pediatric institution, it couldn't perform the donor's organ withdrawal surgery. One hour later, it was time for Mathias to go to Pequeno Príncipe's Operation Room. Seven hours later, the team was able to deliver the good news to the family: the procedure went smoothly.