Liver Transplant Recipient Marks 25th Anniversary
SEVERN, Md. (AP) — Alyssa Riggan hasn't dwelled on being the nation's first successful recipient of a liver from a living donor.
As she marks the 25th anniversary of her successful surgery Thursday, she says its success has enabled her to live a normal life almost completely untouched by what was an often-fatal disorder.
Riggan was 21 months old when her mother, Teri Smith, donated more than a third of her liver to save her daughter from a disorder called biliary atresia.
The procedure helped pave the way for routine live-donor transplants. It expanded the options for children with liver disorders, many of whom died while waiting for a liver from a deceased donor. It was first used only in small children. It's now used for older children, and at some transplant centers, for adults.
(Story by: Brian Witte, The Associated Press)
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