Cutting Edge Procedure in Portugal provides 5 organ transplant to Spain

Four year old Ibai Costales received a stomach, liver, pancreas, duodenum and intestines from a Portuguese child who died.  He underwent life-saving surgery on December 29, 2010 in Madrid.  "He is very lucky.  It was an exceptional amount of luck in such a grievous situation," said Director Rafael Matesanz, Director of the National Transplant Organization of Spain.

El Correo went on to further state in an Opinion Article that this could be called a Christmas Miracle.  The young boy had an unusual tumor of nearly 2 pounds that has been lodged in his abdomen since birth. After an initial surgery to remove the tumor, Ibai continued with a high fever and was transferred to La Paz Hospital in Madrid.

After discovering that parts of the young boys stomach and intestines where left without irrigation during the initial surgery, they had to remove the necrotic organs.  But that wasn't enough, they would have to replace the five affected organs for the boy to survive.  Finding a donor in the pediatric age group is not easy, and in Spain there may only be 30 donors per year.  After two weeks of searching in Spain, the answer came from Portugal, with whom Spain has a transplant agreement.  This is the second time Portugal has provided donor organs to Spain, the first being in 2008.  Although Portugal may be a small country, it is definitely on the cutting edge of medical procedures.