Quebec Patient Gets North America's First Regenerated Liver Transplant
A 64-year-old man from Quebec became the first North American recipient of a liver regenerated by the Liver Assist machine at Montreal's CHUM hospital.
At the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, surgeon David Hénault led the operation that gave Gérard Landry a regenerated liver, marking the first such transplant in North America. The Liver Assist platform connects a donated liver to an oxygen-rich perfusion circuit, then switches to a blood-based solution to test function, effectively reviving organs that might otherwise be discarded. Researchers with Transplant Québec predict the system could make an extra 20 to 24 livers available during its inaugural year, with numbers rising as adoption spreads.
Early post-operative tests showed Landry’s blood work improving faster than expected, and clinicians noted his recovery was unusually swift. Landry remains in Montreal for follow-up testing but hopes to return to his home in Gaspésie soon, urging others to consider organ donation.
Why it matters
The breakthrough could dramatically increase the number of livers available for transplant, saving more lives.
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