Chicago surgeons split liver to save 2 lives at Northwestern Medicine
The surgery also brings new hope for patients with stage four colorectal cancer.
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Surgeons at Northwestern Medicine split a liver to save two lives.
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The surgery also brings new hope for patients with stage 4 colorectal cancer who have seen it spread to their liver.
Kelli Podrez was higher on the transplant list but agreed to share the liver with Barclay Missen, 53, who might not have survived the wait for a traditional transplant.
The two patients met in Chicago on Tuesday.
Podrez said she thought it was meant to be, because she lost her brother-in-law to colorectal cancer.
Four months later, Missen has no signs of colorectal cancer in his body.
Doctors are launching a clinical program to make the procedure available to more patients.
Thanks to the success of the surgery, Northwestern Medicine launched a clinical program to make liver transplants more accessible for patients with stage 4 colorectal cancer.
Patient Missen and Dr. Satish Nadig, a transplant surgeon at Northwestern Medicine joined ABC7 Chicago on Wednesday.
