A few-month-old boy named Easton underwent an exceptional operation. Doctors at Duke University Hospital in North Carolina transplanted his heart and thymus simultaneously. The baby is the first person in the world to undergo such an operation.
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Easton was born not only with heart defects, but also problems with the thymus and immune system. From his birth, he stayed in the hospital, where he was monitored by doctors. Due to recurring infections, intensive therapy was needed to support his life for some time. The boy also underwent heart surgery, but it did not bring any results.
Easton was the first to undergo a heart and thymus transplant
The BBC website reports that Easton was a rare candidate for two separate procedures, both for donor new heart transplantation and thymus implantation, so American doctors decided to pioneer surgery that had previously been tested on animals with good results. As a result, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the procedure for the child.
«We are excited. Achieving greater tolerance (of transplanted organ, editor’s note) has always been the holy grail of transplantology and we are now on the threshold of this achievement » — said Dr. Joseph Turek, the surgeon involved in the operation.
Simultaneous transplantation of the heart and thymus gland in a child from the same donor may result in better tolerance of the child as the immune cells develop and mature, and the child’s immunity improves.
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The operation was performed last August when Easton was six months old. Foreign media, however, only wrote about her now, when it is already known that the child at home feels good.
The procedure was successful and there are no signs of rejection of the transplanted organs. A few months after the operation, it was noticed that the boy’s thymus was producing T cells characteristic of a healthy immune system. Easton is still taking immunosuppressants, but doctors hope that their dose can be reduced or discontinued altogether.
Dr. Joseph Turek adds that the innovative surgery may revolutionize the field of transplantology.
«We felt this was an opportunity for Easton. If successful, this method can be used in internal organ transplants » — he explained.
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