Metehan Gültekin (3), who was diagnosed with 'biliary atresia' in ANTALYA when he was only 1 month old and clung to life with the liver transplanted from his mother at the age of 1.5, now runs and plays like his peers. Çağla Gültekin, who said that she gave birth to her child for the second time, described the moment when she learned about Metehan's illness with the words: "You know, everything becomes blurry and your vision suddenly becomes dark. I thought it only happened in movies, but it also happens in reality."
The Çağla and Osman Gültekin couple, who took their baby Metehan to the hospital with the complaint of jaundice that lasted 1 month after he was born in Antalya, were greatly saddened when they learned that he had 'biliary atresia', a progressive and serious liver disease characterized by congenital obstruction or absence of bile ducts. Metehan, who is only 1 month old, and his family spent most of their days in the hospital during the liver transplantation process. First, Metehan's blocked bile ducts were removed and the bile-producing part of the liver was connected to the small intestine. Following the surgery performed to delay liver damage by ensuring bile flow, Metehan received a liver transplant from his mother when he was 1.5 years old. After the difficult process they went through, the family is now smiling and enjoying healthy days.
Çağla Gültekin stated that she felt very sad when she learned about Metehan's illness. Gültekin said, "We went through a process that we did not expect and that was very difficult to accept. But thankfully, with the support of the doctors, our difficult process became easier." Describing the first moment they learned about Metehan's illness, the mother said, "I couldn't think of anything at that moment," and continued as follows:
"I always thought it happened in the movies. You know, everywhere becomes blurred and your vision suddenly becomes dark. I thought it only happened in the movies, but it also happened in reality. That scene was real. It was very difficult. The doctors were telling me something. I could neither understand the disease nor what was happening to my child."
Explaining that she gave a piece of her liver to her son when the decision to transplant was made after 1.5 difficult years, mother Gültekin said, "I gave birth to my child for the second time. The first one was born from my stomach, the second from my lung." Expressing that she was very happy to give life to her son, the mother said, "If the transplant was going to happen, I wanted it to be from me. It could have been from another donor, there was no risk, but it was still a good thing for me that it was from me." Noting that the troublesome days are behind us and that both Metehan and himself are doing very well, Gültekin said, "I hope everyone waiting for a transplant will go through this process well."
Osman Gültekin, father of three children, explained that they received great support from their families during the difficult time they went through. Osman Gültekin said, "We were in the hospital all the time. Our families accompanied us when necessary." Explaining that Metehan had attacks before liver transplantation and that they went through a hospital stay of 1 week to 10 days at such times, father Gültekin said, "We tried to stand upright during this period. We were at the end of the rope, so to speak, but when we looked at our family and children, we felt that we had to stand upright and we did."
'I WAS VERY BAD WHEN THEY TAKED MY WIFE AND SON INTO SURGERY'
Stating that he had a very difficult time during the transplantation process, Gültekin said, "They took my wife first for the surgery, and then I gave away my child. I felt very empty, I felt very bad. I cried a lot, I was sad. When they were not with me, I fell down more easily." Adding that they received good news when the surgery was over, the father said, "They said that everything went smoothly after the transplant, it was a very nice process. My wife came first, followed by my son. We had a short hospital stay, we went home happily."
Stating that they now come for check-ups every 2-3 months, father Gültekin said, "We have been rewarded for our efforts. May God bless our teachers and everyone. Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine is a benefactor not for Antalya, but for Turkey."
LIVER TRANSPLANTATION WAS DONE TO 150 CHILDREN IN 29 YEARS
Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Child Health and Diseases, Lecturer Prof. Dr. Reha Artan, Prof. Dr. He noted that the first liver transplant was performed at Tuncer Karpuzoğlu Organ Transplantation Institute in 1997. "We achieved this in a child patient," said Prof. Dr. Artan said, "Five surgical teams have changed since 1997. I have been continuing to follow up the patients since the first transplant. 150 pediatric liver transplant cases have been achieved in 29 years and it continues with a high success rate."
Prof. noted that liver transplantation is possible with team work that requires a high level of organization. Dr. Artan said, "It can be achieved with the voluntary and devoted contributions of many departments. The intensive care unit, especially the surgical team, is among the components that greatly change and affect the success of the disease and of which we are proud. It can be achieved with a high level of organizational ability and unity, and the ability to work in an organized manner."
Pediatric Gastroenterology Specialist Dr. Hatice Yılmaz Dağlı also gave information about Metehan's illness. Stating that Metehan was brought to them when he was only 1 month old, Dağlı said, "Metehan was sent to us from an external center with prolonged jaundice and elevated liver enzymes. As a result of the examinations and imaging, we diagnosed biliary atresia. Biliary atresia is a disease caused by the absence of bile ducts from birth. Bile remains in the liver, causing serious and progressive damage to the liver. The definitive treatment and solution is liver transplantation."
Dr. stated that the disease manifests itself with prolonged jaundice and pasty, pale stools after the baby is born. Dağlı said, "Babies with these symptoms should be careful and consult a specialist immediately."
Dr. noted that in these patients, a temporary 'Kasai' operation was performed before liver transplantation, and this was also performed on Metehan. Dağlı said, "This aims to relieve the liver for a while by ensuring that the bile is partially transferred to the intestines. Metehan had this surgery when he was 1 month old. When he was 1.5 years old, the need for transplantation arose due to serious degeneration of the liver, serious damage and infections related to the bile ducts. His mother became a living donor candidate and a living donor liver transplant was performed from Metehan's mother. Metehan is 3 years old, we are still under follow-up and everything is fine."