Doctors from the Warsaw Medical University (WUM) saved an 18-year-old from a severe liver-lung syndrome, following 48 days of ECMO support and a successful liver transplant, allowing him to return to school. The case highlights Poland’s top-tier transplant capabilities.
Warszawian doctors save an 18-year-old after 48 days on ECMO and a liver transplant
Warsaw-based specialists from WUM rescued an 18-year-old patient suffering from an extremely severe liver-lung syndrome. After 48 days on ECMO and a liver transplant on January 9, 2025, the patient is recovering well and will return to school in September. The case underscores Poland’s transplantology expertise at a global standard.
Medical team and key roles
Prof. Michał Grąt, head of the Department of General, Transplantation, and Hepatic Surgery at WUM, coordinated the procedures. The ECMO support team, led by Prof. Mariusz Kuśmierczyk, head of the Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, and Transplant Surgery, ensured critical care. The patient was monitored by Dr. hab. Wojciech Figiel at the Surgical Intensive Care Unit, with cardiological oversight from Prof. Marcin Grabowski and follow-up treatment by Prof. Joanna Raszei-Wyszomirski in the Hepatology Clinic. Marzena Kowalczyk, acting director of WUM, managed the overall care and coordination.
Significance for Polish transplantology
This case demonstrates the real-world capabilities of 21st-century Polish medicine, both organizationally and technologically. WUM highlighted its innovative procedures, including split-liver transplants, supportive transplants, and multi-organ surgeries. A representative from the Ministry of Health mentioned funding for AIT equipment, building a hospital-quality donation system, and expanding coordinator networks to support transplantology development.
What is liver-lung syndrome and ECMO?
Liver-lung syndrome is a complication of advanced liver disease causing pulmonary vessel dilation and leaks, reducing gas exchange efficiency. VV-ECMO (veno-venous) temporarily replaces lung function by oxygenating the patient’s blood externally and returning it to the venous system, enabling safe navigation through the most critical postoperative period. The successful long-term ECMO therapy ending in a liver transplant and recovery positions the Warsaw center among global leaders in managing extreme clinical challenges.
Patient’s current condition
At the press conference on August 20, 2025, the patient was reported to be in good health, free of neurological deficits, and prepared to resume studies. WUM described this outcome as a world-class success achieved through collaboration between transplantologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, cardiologists, hepatologists, anesthesiologists, vascular surgeons, endoscopists, radiologists, and nursing teams.
Source: MiejskiReporter, **Category:** 1
