BEIJING, Jan. 9 -- Recently, the Chinese PLA Rocket Force Characteristic Medical Center, in close cooperation with the Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, successfully completed a hybrid procedure which integrated ex-vivo liver resection, autologous liver transplantation and pancreaticoduodenectomy for an eight-year-old child with hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence.

It is reported that the eight-year-old patient had received several operations including right hemihepatectomy, still had hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence. The case was further complicated by a lengthy portal vein tumor thrombus, which caused a series of complications such as portal hypertension, splenomegaly, and hypersplenism, making the case far more complicated than conventional pediatric surgery.

Fewer than 10 successful cases of ex-vivo liver resection combined with autologous liver transplantation in children have been reported worldwide. This procedure involves a series of difficult problems needed to be solved, making it a "forbidden zone within the forbidden zone of surgeries".

During the surgery, the team members, with their superb skills and seamless cooperation, completed multiple sets of highly challenging anastomosis operations on the slender blood vessels.

After 13 hours of continuous effort, all the difficulties were overcome and the surgery concluded successfully. Now the child is recovering well and all vital signs are stable.

The success of the surgery not only demonstrates the top-notch technical skills of the Rocket Force Characteristic Medical Center in the field of hepatobiliary surgery, but also highlights the remarkable achievements of the joint development of the military-civilian medical alliance. It provides valuable clinical experience and brand-new solutions for the treatment of complex pediatric diseases.