In Lviv, medical professionals executed an innovative ALPPS surgery, successfully cultivating a portion of the liver in a 10-month-old boy.

This was reported by the First Medical Association of Lviv on Facebook.

At four months old, Demian was diagnosed with a malignant tumor. The infant lost his appetite, stopped gaining weight, and his skin became pale. The family was directed to the Pediatric Cholestatic Diseases Center.

A biopsy confirmed the presence of a malignant liver tumor, measuring 8 centimeters out of a total of 12 (the length of the organ), and it had spread across all four sectors of the liver. The boy was classified as a high-risk patient.

Doctors urgently began chemotherapy, managing to reduce the tumor size by half over four months. However, the threat to his life remained. The option for a liver transplant was dismissed, as Demian weighed only 8 kg.

“Another option was the very complex ALPPS surgery, which our doctors had never performed before. This method is new, and only a few such procedures are done for children worldwide each year. ALPPS involves radical resection, meaning almost complete removal of the liver. After consultations with Polish colleagues, Lviv pediatric surgeons decided to proceed with this new approach, as it was the only way to fight for Demian’s life,” the medical association stated.

They explained that during the first stage, surgeons separated the liver into healthy and affected parts. The vessels supplying the diseased area were clamped to halt tumor growth, while the organ continued to function.

“15% of the separated healthy liver tissues quadrupled within a week after the intervention! This means that the doctors managed to grow a sufficient amount of tissue from a critically small volume for the next stage of surgery. Such cases are rare even globally. So now the surgeons could proceed to remove the affected part of the organ,” the medical staff emphasized.

The second stage required replacing a vessel within half an hour.

The medical association informed that Demian continues to receive chemotherapy, but the results from routine examinations are encouraging: the liver has regenerated to its full size and is functioning smoothly. The boy has regained his appetite and has started to gain weight.