Franz Aren Babao Reyes, 23, got a new lease on life after receiving a liver transplant — the first ever at Makati Medical Center — thanks to a team of South Korean surgeons from the Asan Medical Center, a prestigious hospital in Seoul.
Despite a complicated surgical history due to a past gunshot injury, Franz’s 50-year-old mother Maria Lorena Babao, selflessly donated a portion of her liver in the 11-hour procedure. Both mother and son recovered well and were cleared for discharge.
“This living donor liver transplantation, the first of its kind performed since the opening of Makati Medical Center 56 years ago, was a highly complex procedure for both the donor and the recipient.
Despite the high level of surgical difficulty, both patients recovered smoothly and were recently discharged in good health,” Asan Medical Center stated in a release.
Franz had been battling a rare liver disease, primary sclerosing cholangitis and was in intensive care due to sepsis, the release noted.
The transplant was made possible through a 2023 partnership between Makati Medical Center and Asan, which flew in top liver surgeons and anesthesiologists to perform the complex procedure.
Asan’s team, which has performed over 9,000 liver transplants, says the milestone sets the stage for future local surgeries, with structured training and equipment support to help improve the Philippines’ transplant capacity.
