Bulgaria celebrated a significant milestone as a 29-year-old woman, known as P. I., became the first person in the country to give birth after undergoing a liver transplant. The successful delivery of a healthy baby girl at the Maichin Dom maternity hospital was announced by the Military Medical Academy (MMA) on Friday. P. I. had received a liver transplant at the MMA two years ago due to a lifelong autoimmune liver condition that had been diagnosed when she was just 13 years old. In 2021, she underwent a unique split liver transplantation, a procedure that had never been performed at the MMA before.
Prof. Nikolai Vladov, the head of the liver surgery and transplant clinic at the MMA, expressed his satisfaction with the remarkable success of the transplant, which resulted in the patient’s swift recovery. Despite the challenges faced by transplant patients during pregnancy, P. I. received approval from her doctors to embark on her first pregnancy after the transplant. Under the close monitoring of Prof. Ivan Kostov at Maichin Dom, the pregnancy progressed smoothly without complications. The collaboration between the hospitals and the multidisciplinary approach taken for this complex case ensured the safety and health of both the mother and baby.
Currently, both mother and baby, named Raya, are at home and enjoying good health. The successful birth marks a significant achievement in Bulgaria’s transplant medicine and offers hope and inspiration to other transplant recipients who may desire to start a family. Although there are risks associated with pregnancies in transplant patients due to lifelong immunosuppressant medication, the milestone achieved in this case provides encouraging evidence of the positive outcomes that can be achieved with careful medical management and support.
