Click here for Mobile Site: http://m.cbs3.com
  • Font Size    
E-mail

Close Window E-mail This Page

Health Alert: Liver Transplants

Required fields are marked with an asterisk(*)

The information you provide will be used only to send the requested e-mail and will not be used to send any other e-mail communications. Read more in our Privacy Policy

Send E-mail

   Print     Share +    Comments
Jul 15, 2009 6:21 pm US/Eastern

Health Alert: Liver Transplants

Reporting
Stephanie Stahl
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ― Every year thousands of Americans need a liver transplant. Unfortunately many patients do not survive because a donor isn't found in time. But an experimental machine is giving some patients another chance, doing the work of a liver until a new one arrives.

Doctors say 33-year-old Darius Reszuta is lucky to be alive. Three months ago his liver started to fail with no warning.

"He was this close to being dead," said Dr. Lewis Teperman with NYU Langone Medical Center.

"I didn't feel anything. No pain. Nothing," said Darius. He desperately needed a transplant. A donor liver was found in another state, but it wouldn't arrive in time to save him. That's when Darius was put on an experimental machine called the Extracorporeal Liver Assist Device. One of just six in the country that can temporarily take over liver function. What makes the device unique is the filters contain human liver cells that cleanse toxins from the body and produce vital proteins.

"We were able to keep him alive in the operating room on this machine waiting for the organ," said Dr. Teperman.

"I feel lucky I was able to be on the machine. It saved my life," said Darius.
The machine has been used on about 70 Americans. In some patients the device allowed the damaged liver to heal itself and they didn't even need a transplant.

"There are probably 17,000 people on the list. We do 6,000 liver transplants a year," said Dr. Teperman. He says if future testing is successful, and the FDA approves the machine, it could save thousands of lives every year.

(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

Add Comment

here. here. Need a log in? Register here
  •  * Will not be displayed with comment
  •  * e.g. (http://www.mywebsite.com)
  •  
  • Click here to refresh with new letters

Show Comments (0)

Close Window Login


Close Window Flag Comment


loading...
You need the latest Flash player to view video content.
Click here to download.

Click here to bypass this detection if you already have the latest Flash Player.

Health Alert

Top News Stories

© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.