For the first time in Bulgaria: A woman with transplanted liver gives birth

Two years after a successful liver transplant, 29-year-old Petya Yordanova from Dimitrovgrad fulfilled her dream of becoming a mother. Her pregnancy was monitored by Prof. Dr. Ivan Kostov at Sofia's obstetrics hospital "Maichin Dom". Baby Raya was born naturally 40 days earlier. The neonatologists from the hospital took care of the newborn for 43 days, the health facility said.

Petya was diagnosed with a severe autoimmune liver disease in childhood and adolescence, and over the years her condition has become more complicated. 2019 was the most critical year for her, as she was in a hepatic coma, and doctors did not have much hope that she would survive. But she pulled through and woke up on Easter Sunday.

From that point on, a transplant was her only salvation. Again on a major Christian holiday, Saint Demetrius Day, in 2021, Petya entered the operating theatre in the Military Medical Academy for the first split transplant ever done in the country. It was performed by the team of prof. Nikola Vladov, liver surgeon and transplantologist. While waiting for the life-saving operation, she was under the supervision of prof. Krum Katsarov and the entire team of gastroenterologists from the MMA.

After the transplant, Petya became pregnant. On the recommendation of prof. Vladov, she was redirected for follow-up by Prof. Dr. Ivan Kostov from “Maichin Dom” hospital.

"When I saw Petya with her husband and baby together with the two professors from MMA - I felt really happy," said prof. Ivan Kostov at the discharge of little Raya from the Neonatology Clinic at the hospital.

"Thank you to my obstetrician-gynecologist prof. Ivan Kostov for his care and professionalism. Thank you to the whole team of "Maichin Dom" for their attitude, for keeping me and my little daughter Raya alive and healthy. I wish all the mothers-to-be to experience the happiness that I experienced and their babies to be healthy and blessed," said Petya.