A new medical premiere at the Republican Clinical Hospital "Timofei Moșneaga". Surgeons saved the life of a man diagnosed with decompensated liver cirrhosis. The 42-year-old patient, who arrived in a serious condition at the hospital, underwent a minimally invasive surgery, performed for the first time in Moldova, IPN reports.

Until now, such cases have been solved by classical, "open" surgery, but the operation carried major risks for the patients. In this case, doctors applied the Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Intrahepatic Shunt (TIPS) procedure.

"The minimally invasive and safe intervention for the patient was due to the state-of-the-art equipment and the physicians' specialization in interventional radiology," the SCR communicates.

The surgical team that performed the operation included: Sorin Barat, head of the Endovascular Surgery Cabinet, Stefan Manica, endovascular surgeon, Andrei Ciocârlan, anesthesiologist, Angela Cojușneanu, operation assistant and Lilia Batrîncea, anesthesiology assistant.

Sorin Barat said that, technically, the operation consists of minimally invasive endovascular connection of two vascular systems. These are the portal system and the inferior cav system, which do not normally communicate directly, only through the liver, which is the body's natural filter.

"If the liver is 'beaten up', then these systems start to function abnormally. We form a channel and unite these systems, thus lowering the pressure, which is generated as a result of this disease in the portal system," explains the surgeon.

The patient was discharged home in satisfactory condition and is now on the waiting list for liver transplantation. The intervention was fully paid for by the National Health Insurance Company.