A complex, highly sophisticated medical operation was recently performed at Rambam Medical Center to save the life of Madchat Tapash, a 7-year-old boy from the Gaza Strip.
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Madchat Tapash was born with a defect in his renal system that caused life-threatening kidney failure and an improperly functioning bladder, requiring a multidisciplinary team of specialists to repair the damage. The operation effectively comprised three different surgeries conducted almost simultaneously, in which the boy's bladder was reconstructed, a kidney donated by his mother was implanted in his body, and finally, Madchat's new kidney was successfully connected to his reconstructed bladder.
Tapash has been undergoing dialysis treatment for over two years. Because of his severe medical condition, he was unable to receive the care he needed through the Gaza healthcare system and was transferred to Rambam by Yazid Falah, the center's coordinator for patients from the Palestinian Authority.
The Think About Others NGO raised funds to help pay for the child's surgery.
Rambam assembled a large, highly skilled multidisciplinary team from across its various departments to perform the operation. Medical specialists from the Pediatric Urology Clinic, under the leadership of Dr. Akram Assadi, and the Pediatric Nephrology Institute, together with surgeons, renal implant specialists, hematologists, radiologists, anesthesiologists, and pharmacists worked to create an operational plan to save the boy's life. Professor Pinhas Livneh, formerly the Director of Pediatric Urology at Rambam, provided expert consultation and guidance.
Tapash's mother, Sumar, who has four other children, offered to donate her kidney to her young son and was found to be a suitable match. "I would have given him my soul, my eyes, and that I should die so that he could live – anything to stop his suffering," said Sumar.
The 7-year-old had already undergone 15 surgeries and dozens of procedures during his short life.
The surgery lasted approximately 11 hours. The first phase involved the reconstruction of the boy's bladder by the Pediatric Urology team directed by Assadi. The bladder, which was not functioning well, was reconstructed and enlarged using the boy's ureters – muscular tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder.
At the same time, in an adjacent surgical suite, Sumar underwent a minimally invasive but complex procedure to extract one of her kidneys. That surgery was performed by Professor Ahmad Assalia, deputy director of General Surgery at Rambam. The mother's kidney was then implanted in the boy's body by Dr. Ran Steinberg, director of Pediatric Surgery, and his team.
In the final phase, the newly implanted kidney was connected to the reconstructed bladder. While still in the operating room, Madchat's new kidney began functioning properly and effortlessly. When it was all over, Sumar joyfully exclaimed, "It is wonderful to give a part of your body to heal your child. You feel the closeness – it is as if we were one body."
Dr. Steinberg stated, "An operation of this magnitude required the participation and coordination of dozens of people and multiple hospital departments. Without intensive advance preparation and great motivation to succeed, it would have been extremely difficult to carry out this extraordinary undertaking."
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