After she was given 24 hours to live, a rare transplant saved her life
Summary
Danielle Perea, 24, was diagnosed with a rare and life-threatening condition called mesenteric ischemia after passing blood and severe stomach pain. She received a rare intestinal transplant at the Cleveland Clinic, which saved her life after doctors initially found her intestines had died.Key Facts
- Danielle Perea was initially misdiagnosed despite severe symptoms of blood in vomit and stomach pain.
- She was found to have a blood clot causing mesenteric ischemia, leading to tissue death in her intestines.
- Doctors told her family she had about 24 hours to live due to extensive necrotic tissue.
- Perea was placed in hospice care but maintained stable health for over a week.
- Her family contacted the Cleveland Clinic, which has the largest intestinal transplant program in the US.
- Intestinal transplants are very rare, with 95 done last year in the US, compared to thousands of liver and heart transplants.
- Intestinal transplants have a high rejection rate, but survival rates have improved to 82% after one year as of 2022.
- Perea spent over a year on IV nutrition before her transplant was completed and she began recovery.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
