Transplant Surgery Team Successfully Conducts ‘First Living Donor Liver Transplant’ at Second State Central Hospital in Mongolia
The Transplant Surgery Team from Samsung Medical Center visited the Second State Central Hospital in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from March 7 to 10, where they successfully conducted the hospital's first living donor liver transplant (LDLT) surgery. This surgery was performed as part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the two institutions in August 2023, as well as the Mongolian medical staff training program held from April to June 2024. A total of 27 medical staff members were divided into three teams, each receiving three weeks of training. The training was provided by the Department of Transplant Surgery, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Department of Radiology, Department of Gastroenterology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Department of Pathology, and the Surgical Nursing Team.
As a result, the Second State Central Hospital in Mongolia has established its own organ transplant team and set the foundation to independently perform all liver donor surgeries laparoscopically starting in 2025.
What is particularly noteworthy about this operation is that, although it was the first liver transplant at the Second State Central Hospital in Mongolia, it involved performing a laparoscopic hepatectomy for a living donor liver transplant. This signifies that our collaboration with the hospital to enhance Mongolia's medical capacity for liver transplantation has been successful.
Professor Jongman Kim of the Organ Transplant Center, who led the project, expressed, “I am deeply moved that the first liver transplant surgery was successful, and the patient regained independence with the support of our hospital.” He continued, “I believe this achievement is the result of all the medical staff on our hospital’s liver transplant team working diligently to pass on the surgical techniques.” He stated, “We will continue to provide unwavering support to ensure that Mongolian patients can receive transplants locally and save more lives.” He also plans to spearhead the expansion of global medical cooperation in the future, using this successful liver transplant as a stepping stone.