"We are very happy." A Belarusian family underwent a kidney transplant from wife to husband
In Gdańsk, a surgery was performed on the Khvastsiok family, during which one of Alena's kidneys was transplanted to her husband Siarhei, as his kidneys had almost failed. The transplantation took place at a hospital in Gdańsk on March 18, Alena Khvastsiok told "Svaboda".
Alena and Siarhei. Photo from personal archive
"Everything is fine with us. The operation was successful," she shared.
First, Alena was operated on — from 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM, the interviewee clarified. Then her husband was taken in, and his operation finished at 2:00 PM. Both operations were performed under general anesthesia. In the evening, they both had already regained consciousness. The couple is in different rooms but managed to call each other.
"The doctors said that his new kidney started working immediately on the operating table. Everything should be fine. We feel good. We're resting, sleeping. We are given painkillers, wrapped in care and attention. Of course, we are very happy that everything went so well, without complications, that the path to the operation has been completed and recovery lies ahead!" Alena Khvastsiok said about the first hours after the kidney transplant.
The couple was admitted to the hospital two days before the operation, on March 16. As Alena previously said, during the operation, her kidney was to be removed laparoscopically, and extracted through an incision in the scar left after her C-section.
According to preliminary plans, Alena is expected to remain under hospital observation for about a week, and Siarhei for about two weeks. Further rehabilitation will likely take about a month for Alena and about three months for Siarhei. During this time, they will not be able to work. Belarusians have raised money for the family for this period. For the rest of their lives after the transplant, they must remain under the care of a nephrologist and undergo annual examinations.
Alena and Siarhei Khvastsiok. Photo from personal archive
Siarhei and Alena Khvastsiok are from Polatsk. They have been living in Gdańsk, Poland, for several years now. They have been together for 25 years. They have two daughters. Siarhei worked as a taxi driver in Poland, and Alena as an accountant. After recovery, she will be looking for a new job.
Siarhei's kidney problems were discovered back in Belarus. However, it was only about six months ago that he was diagnosed with almost complete kidney failure. The man was offered lifelong dialysis — a blood purification procedure that needs to be done several times a week for several hours. Siarhei would not have been able to work while on dialysis. The waiting list for a transplant from a deceased donor was too long. That's when Siarhei's wife offered to become a donor for him.
"I can't do otherwise. I can't watch him suffer. If I can help — why not? I'll endure a month of pain. The main thing is that everything works out for us afterward, that he is healthy and cheerful. There is an understanding that we are together. And that we can't do anything without each other. There are no options to abandon each other in trouble. I think if something like this happened to me, he would do the same," Alena said earlier.
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