Costa Rican businesswoman Carolina Espinoza received a living-donor liver transplant from one of her children on March 2, improving her health after a more than five-year battle with colorectal cancer that had spread to her liver.
Espinoza, 52, underwent multiple surgeries, chemotherapy and immunotherapy sessions, and other treatments.
She also participated in research protocols in the United States, but the cancer returned as her treatment options were running out.
After being evaluated by specialists, she was referred to Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital in Florida, where a multidisciplinary team determined that the best treatment option was a living-donor liver transplant. In this case, it was from a compatible family member willing to donate, avoiding delays associated with waiting for a deceased donor.
Cleveland Clinic’s Transplant Center is one of the leading providers of heart, kidney, and liver transplants in South Florida. In addition, it is one of the few centers in the state with living-donor programs for both kidney and liver transplants.
To date, the center has performed 1,686 kidney transplants, 712 liver transplants, and 384 heart transplants.
“When I learned that a transplant was an option, I was happy because it meant I had a chance to keep living,” Espinoza said.
According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), nearly 3,000 people in the United States die or become seriously ill each year while waiting for an organ transplant.
The donation process
Sofía, 31, and Santiago, 26, Espinoza’s two children, both volunteered as potential donors. After medical and psychosocial evaluations, Santiago was selected as the compatible donor.
“I had doubts. I wanted to make sure my son would be OK. I even sought a second opinion in Costa Rica, but Santiago never had any doubts: he wanted to help me,” Espinoza said.
Antonio Pinna, director of Cleveland Clinic Weston’s Abdominal Transplant Center and Living Donor Liver Transplant Program, explained that evaluating a donor is an exhaustive process that begins with blood tests to determine compatibility and includes tests to examine the liver’s anatomy.
He also said the donor’s psychosocial evaluation is just as important as the medical assessment.
“We want to make sure the person understands the risks and benefits of donating, is making the decision voluntarily and has the emotional support needed during recovery,” he said.
The transplant was performed in March, and although Carolina’s recovery was complicated by her previous medical procedures and limitations in pain management, both her recovery and Santiago’s were successful.
“Seeing my son willing to undergo surgery to save my life was something impossible to describe,” Espinoza said. She now enjoys a quality of life that seemed unattainable during the most difficult years of her illness.
New opportunities
Espinoza said her case was so complex that at times “even the doctors didn’t think I would make it this far.” She always maintained, however, her desire to live and spend time with her family.
Pinna encouraged patients waiting for a liver transplant to remain hopeful and urged those considering living donation to learn more about the process and consult specialists.
According to UNOS figures, about 14,000 people in the United States are currently on the waiting list for a liver transplant.
“Advances in this field have made it possible to help more patients than ever, and living donation has become an option that can shorten waiting times and save lives,” Pinna said.
Several months after her transplant, Carolina said she feels optimistic and grateful for every moment she spends with her family and hopes her story can raise awareness about the importance of living organ donation. EFE