CHIANG MAI – In a groundbreaking medical achievement, doctors at Chiang Mai University have successfully performed the nation’s first liver transplant between identical twins. The historic procedure involved 20-year-old Supawit Songngern donating a significant portion of his liver to save his twin brother, Supapich, who had been suffering from congenital biliary atresia.

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The complex surgery marked a significant milestone in Thai medical history, utilizing the unique biological advantage of the brothers’ identical genetics. This compatibility dramatically reduced the risk of organ rejection and eliminated the need for lifelong immunosuppressive medication. Supapich had previously undergone a Kasai procedure in 2005 to extend his liver function, but his condition had progressively deteriorated over the past six years.

A team of doctors at the Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University successfully treats a patient with type1 diabetes by a pancreas transplant for the first time at Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital. @TNAMCOT pic.twitter.com/sITILr4aQN

— TNAMCOT English (@TNAMCOTEnglish) November 25, 2022

Associate Professor Sanhawit Janrangsee, a lead surgeon on the case, emphasized the technical challenges of the living-donor transplant, which required meticulous planning and coordination to ensure both brothers’ safety.

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The Organ Transplant Center, which has now completed 63 liver transplants, maintains a remarkable 95% one-year survival rate for recipients, matching international standards from leading medical centers in the United States and South Korea. University officials hailed the operation as demonstrating world-class surgical expertise and advancing Thailand’s position in innovative medical care.

-Thailand News (TN)