Successful Second Liver Transplantation Performed

Background

In May 2026, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University announced that its general surgery team had successfully completed a high-difficulty second liver transplantation. The patient, referred to as Mr. Liu, was 44 years old when he underwent his first liver transplant approximately six months earlier due to decompensated hepatitis B cirrhosis.

Approximately two months after the initial transplant, Mr. Liu developed recurrent elevated bilirubin levels. Treatments including endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with stent placement did not yield significant improvement. His bilirubin continued to rise, accompanied by intolerable skin itching and progressive jaundice, with his condition advancing to near liver failure.

What was achieved

On the night of April 15, 2026, Mr. Liu was successfully matched with a suitable donor liver through the allocation system. The re-transplantation surgery was performed the following day by a team led by Professor Zhong Xiangyu, director of general surgery at the hospital. The operation lasted nine hours and involved collaboration with the anesthesiology department under Professor Tao Tao, as well as the intensive care unit team led by Professor Han Yi.

The surgical team included attending physicians Su Zhilei and Kang Pengcheng. Postoperatively, Mr. Liu was transferred to the ICU. He regained consciousness the next day, with successful removal of the endotracheal tube and gastric tube, and began drinking water. Hospital reports from May 7, 2026, stated that he had recovered well and was preparing for discharge. The hospital noted that the case marked a new advancement in its capabilities for complex liver transplantation.

How it works

Liver transplantation replaces a failing liver with a healthy organ from a donor. In cases of re-transplantation or second liver transplant, the procedure is technically more demanding than the first. The initial surgery results in extensive scar tissue and adhesions within the abdominal cavity. These adhesions make it challenging to separate and remove the previously transplanted liver, with a high risk of causing major bleeding during dissection.

The blood vessels altered by the first transplant require reconstruction under more complicated anatomical conditions for the new graft. Patients are typically on long-term immunosuppressive medications, which heightens the risks of rejection of the new liver and postoperative infections. In this case, the multidisciplinary team performed thorough preoperative evaluation and planning. During the nine-hour procedure, they carefully managed adhesions and vascular challenges. Intensive monitoring and support in the ICU followed to address perioperative risks.

What it means for international patients

The hospital established an International Medical Center in January 2025. The center has provided services to patients from countries including Russia, the United States, Thailand, and South Korea. It offers multidisciplinary expert consultations, one-stop care pathways, coordination with international insurance providers, and an improved environment for overseas patients.

This successful re-transplantation demonstrates the hospital's experience in managing complex liver failure cases requiring advanced surgical intervention. International patients considering care such as liver transplantation at the facility should directly contact the International Medical Center to verify eligibility, organ allocation processes under Chinese regulations, wait times, and individualized assessment. Availability and suitability must be confirmed with the hospital on a case-by-case basis.

About the hospital

The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University is located in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, in Northeast China. It is a comprehensive teaching hospital affiliated with Harbin Medical University.

The hospital has performed liver transplantations since the 1990s and holds qualifications for heart, liver, lung, and kidney transplantation. It operates its own organ procurement organization and has carried out advanced procedures including split-liver transplantation (the first in Heilongjiang Province), auxiliary liver transplants using partial or discarded liver tissue, and multiple transplants in short periods, such as nine liver transplants over 25 days in August 2026. One early liver transplant recipient at the hospital has survived for nearly 30 years. The hospital maintains a focus on multidisciplinary collaboration for organ transplantation and complex general surgery cases. It opened an international (special needs) outpatient service and International Medical Center to support overseas and high-end care.