The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) and Austin Health today celebrated the incredible milestone of having performed 100 paediatric liver transplants, giving Australian children with acute liver failure a second chance at life.

Around 150 patients, families, surgeons, doctors, nurses and allied health staff reunited at the RCH to mark the occasion and reflect on their transplant journeys.

The paediatric liver transplant service is a division of the Victorian Liver Transplant Unit – a collaboration between the RCH and Austin Health. Patients are predominately from Victoria and Tasmania, but the service has extended its care to patients from other parts of the country.

Liver transplant is the only treatment available for children with irretrievable acute liver failure or chronic end-stage liver disease, certain metabolic diseases and some liver cancers.

The first liver transplant performed at the RCH was conducted in 1995. At the time, 11-month-old Jordyn Griffin was the youngest person to receive a liver transplant in Australia.

Today, Jordyn is 17 and an accomplished singer. She performed a song for guests at the celebratory event.

The 100th liver transplant was performed late 2011 for 10-month-old Starsha Belardinelli. Starsha was born with a form of liver disease known as biliary atresia. She has recovered well after her transplant and is now experiencing life as a typical, healthy toddler.

RCH Head of Liver and Intestinal Transplantation, Associate Professor Winita Hardikar, says the liver transplant program has advanced considerably between the 1st and 100th transplants.

“Today we are able to perform transplants on much smaller, sicker babies than we were able to do 17 years ago,” A/Professor Hardikar said. 

Over the past 17 years, the number of transplants performed by the service has increased by 500 per cent, from two in 1995 to 8 in 2012 so far. The overall survival rate is 89 per cent – an outcome rivalling those of larger transplant units around the world.

A/Professor Hardikar attributes the advancements to a number of factors including better equipment and greater research.

“While there have been substantial improvements in technology, we also have a better understanding of organ rejection.

“We continue to conduct and draw upon research, particularly into innovative technical procedures, liver cell transplantation and quality of life for families of paediatric liver transplantation,” she said.

The service’s increased expertise in paediatric liver transplantation has led to a very low re-transplant rate and successful implementation of:

• Victoria’s first split liver transplant in 2002;

• Australia’s first liver cell transplant in 2004; and

• Victoria’s first living donor transplant in 2007.

The number of split liver transplants has risen significantly from 24 per cent of transplants conducted in 2007 to 87 per cent in 2012, increasing the number of transplants that can be performed by enabling two patients – usually one paediatric and one adult –to receive a transplant from the one organ.

This year the service also performed Australia’s first paediatric intestinal transplant. The multi-organ (liver, small bowel, pancreas and duodenum) operation has given 13-year-old Mohamed El Shazly a life free of intravenous nutrition and its associated complications. Mohamed has returned to school and is making the most of his new health.

RCH Chief Executive Officer, Professor Christine Kilpatrick, congratulated the team on their achievement.

“The 100th paediatric liver transplant milestone is an excellent example of what can be achieved through effective collaboration, world class expertise and a passionate dedication to improving the health outcomes of Australian children,” Professor Kilpatrick said.