“It's wonderful that my daughter doesn't need dialysis anymore. Her skin is lightened and she becomes more outgoing. Thank you so much for giving my child a chance at living a quality life with a kidney transplant.” Standing in the ward of the Urology Department at the Children’s Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine (ZCH), Miao Miao's mother expressed her gratitude while preparing for her discharge from the hospital.

Miao Miao is a 13-year-old girl. She was diagnosed with Stage 5 Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) last year. Since then, the poor girl had to undergo long-term dialysis treatment. She had to take a long time off from school when she could have been studying and playing with her peers. Due to the peritoneal dialysis, a soft plastic tube resembling a small tail is placed in her belly. In addition, she had to undergo dialysis at night while sleeping to keep her body functioning. As a result, this once cheerful and smiling girl has gradually become more introverted and quiet.

Dialysis can only slow down the progression of the disease temporarily. It significantly affects Miao Miao’s daily life. Kidney transplantation is the optimal treatment for her. After learning that ZCH can perform kidney transplant surgery, Miao Miao’s parents decided to do the surgery for the child without hesitation. Miao Miao was put on the hospital’s kidney transplant waitlist, waiting for a suitable kidney.

Miao Miao finally got a match two months later. She passed all the necessary tests and met the criteria for surgery. Miao Miao’s mother was excited when hearing the news. “We had thought that it would be a long wait. We will never forget that day!” she said.

The kidney transplant team at ZCH promptly performed a transplant surgery for Miao Miao on the same day. Thanks to the well-established Multi-Disciplinary Treatment (MDT) and seamless collaboration among experts from various disciplines, including urology, nephrology, anesthesiology, ultrasound, SICU, radiology, genetics and metabolism, nutrition, and others, a comprehensive MDT on organ transplantation was conducted before Miao Miao's registration. A meticulous surgical plan and postoperative management strategy were initiated for Miao Miao when a suitable donor became available.

The operation proceeded as scheduled under the guidance of Dr. CHEN Guangjie, vice director of the Urology Department, with all preparations in place. It lasted for three hours and it was very successful. After the surgery, Miao Miao was transferred to the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) for post-operative monitoring. An average hourly urine output of 100ml, accompanied by the continuous excretion of creatinine– a metabolic product, indicated that the new kidney started to function and that the surgery was a success. On the second day following her surgery, her blood creatinine levels decreased from over 1000 before the operation to 100.

After anti-infection, anti-rejection, and other treatments, Miao Miao was discharged with her blood creatinine reaching a normal level. The 13-year-old girl who underwent a successful kidney transplant has become happy and cheerful again, no longer requiring dialysis.

Dr. MAO Jianhua, vice president of the hospital, and director of the Nephrology-Urology Center said, “Since August 2023, Zhejiang University has completed six kidney allografts. Miao Miao is the sixth one. The recent follow-up visits indicate that six pediatric patients all have exhibited excellent postoperative recovery. Kidney transplantation not only significantly enhances their quality of life, but also ensures a promising future for their academic career and overall well-being. Children's organs are relatively smaller and their blood vessels are thinner compared to adults. Therefore, the transplantation procedure for children poses greater challenges. Thanks to the extensive experience and professional expertise of the kidney transplantation team, the hospital can cope with challenges emerging before and after the surgery more effectively.”

Source: Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine