Professional meeting presenting the topic of transplantation program was held today at the Military Medical Academy on October 8th, 2013. Among the attendees were State Secretary in the Ministry of Health Prof. Dr. Vladimir Djukic and doctors coming from Turkish Hospital Group Acibadem.

In his welcome speech, Head of the Military Medical Academy Brigadier General Prof. Dr. Marijan Novakovic met the guests with the occasion of the meeting-European Donation Day marked every October 12th although each medical worker has professional and moral obligation to promote transplantation as the most human branch of medicine. State Secretary Djukic stressed out the fact that our common interest is work on transplantation program improvement and necessary introduction of the citizens with organ donation program.

After the presentation of Solid Organ Transplantation Center organization and work activities by Colonel Dr. Neven Vavic, Lt. Col. Dr. Mirko Jovanovic from the MMA Clinic for Urology and Lt. Col. Dr. Zoran Bjelanovic from the MMA Clinic for Vascular and Endovascular Surgery spoke about experiences Military Medical Academy has gained during its work on liver and kidney transplantation programs. Lectures were also delivered by Acibadem surgeons specialized for liver and kidney transplant, Prof. Dr. Bülent Oktay and Prof. Dr. Remzi Emiroğlu, while transplant coordinators Colonel Prof. Dr. Djoko Maksic and Dr. Salih Gülten presented respectively their everyday activities.

Military Medical Academy is one of the leading Serbian institutions in the field of transplantation programs. Program of organ donation and donor card-signing has been realized for the first time in Serbia in 2002 at the Military Medical Academy counting up to now more than 80 000 persons who have decided to give the gift of an organ. Solid Organ Transplantation Center was formed in 2011, upon obtaining the MMA Ethics Committee’s approval, as the support to the MMA’s Transplantation Program including preemptive, unrelated living donor, and ABO-incompatible and positive cross-match kidney transplants. Since 2005, it has added liver services to its Transplant Program. It employs the whole range of advanced immunosuppressive therapies and procedures. The results and successes achieved in this field correspond to the best European results. In addition to further advances in the transplant field, and the increase in the number of performed transplant surgeries, the objective for the near future is to extend the Transplantation Program to include pancreas, cornea and the other organ services as well.

Acibadem Healthcare Group opened its International Hospital Transplant Center in October of 2010, with a background of over 2000 kidney and 250 liver transplants. Equipped with the latest technology infrastructure, it applies full laparoscopic techniques from living donors. Last year a team of surgeons from Acibadem performed for the first time vaginal removal of kidneys. They successfully realize combined transplantations, as well (i.e. kidney and liver transplantations during the same surgical procedure).

For a long time, Military Medical Academy has excellent cooperation with international transplant centers, and mentioned event was one of the opportunities to improve it and share valuable experiences.