TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — National Taiwan University Hospital has performed its first staged liver and kidney transplants on a 12-year-old boy surnamed Hsu (許) within a single year, highlighting advances in Taiwan’s treatment of children with severe conditions.
At a press conference on Wednesday, the hospital said Hsu had experienced rare liver and kidney diseases since he was four months old, which led to severe scarring of the liver and an enlarged spleen. His condition was complex and extremely difficult to treat, per CNA.
The hospital team first transplanted part of his mother’s liver to Hsu in January 2025, but his kidney function continued to worsen after the procedure. The team then transplanted one of his father’s kidneys to him in January 2026.
After two transplants and postoperative care, Hsu’s condition improved and he has been discharged from the hospital. To meet organ donation requirements, his parents said they had controlled their fat and sugar intake before the surgeries.
Lee Chih-yuan (李志元), a surgeon at the hospital, said kidney transplantation is the best treatment for end-stage kidney disease and eliminates the need for dialysis. However, organ donation sources in Taiwan remain limited, with more than 8,000 people waiting for kidney transplants and 936 waiting for liver transplants.
In addition to blood type and tissue matching, organ size is also a key factor in transplantation. Children’s blood volume and blood pressure may not be sufficient to support adult donor organs, Lee said.
To improve liver implantation, the team conducted 3D simulations before the operation, considering the child’s abdominal size, blood vessels, and bile ducts. Lee added the transplanted liver is expected to adapt as the recipient grows.
NTUH Director Yu Chong-jen (余忠仁) said the hospital completed Asia’s first kidney transplant in 1968. He added it has since carried out more than 1,500 successful procedures, the highest number among hospitals in Taiwan.
In April 2025, the hospital also performed the world’s first transplant with a beating heart, keeping the donated heart supplied with blood to reduce tissue damage. In conventional procedures, donor hearts are removed and stored in a cold preservation solution to slow metabolism, but the lack of blood flow during this period can affect heart function.
