- Malatya has become a global center of hope in liver transplantation, performing more than 4,400 transplants over the past 25 years.

- “They said she would not survive — today she is 17 years old.”

- Director of the Liver Transplant Institute Prof. Yılmaz: “We are unmatched in the world in cross liver transplantation.”

- Havin Bel: “After my fourth transplant, my chances of survival were virtually zero. I found in my own country the treatment I could not find abroad.”

June 6, 2026

The Liver Transplant Institute of İnönü University has transformed the lives of thousands of people through more than 4,400 liver transplants performed over the past 25 years.

Havin Bel underwent her first liver transplant when she was just one year old. Over the years, she faced death four times. After unsuccessful treatment in Germany, she came to Malatya as a last resort. Today, at the age of 17, Havin is alive and thriving.

Fadime Akaslan, meanwhile, was given a second chance at life when she received a liver donation from her husband—then her fiancé—during a period in which she lost consciousness due to acute liver failure.

The Liver Transplant Institute at İnönü University’s Turgut Özal Medical Center, where Havin, Fadime, and many other patients regained their lives, marked its 25th anniversary with a special celebration program.

As one of Türkiye’s and the world’s leading liver transplant centers, the institute’s quarter-century of success is built upon thousands of stories of renewed life and hope.

Born with biliary atresia, a condition characterized by the absence of bile ducts, Havin Bel’s struggle for survival began in infancy. She received her first liver transplant at the age of one and underwent a total of four liver transplants over the years.

Bel explained that she lived in Germany with her family for a period and felt that her condition was not taken seriously there. She stated that the treatments she received were unsuccessful, that organ rejection developed, and that her health deteriorated dramatically. Recalling her arrival in Malatya after her condition worsened, Bel said: “I came here and underwent a transplant. My treatment process progressed very well.” She added: “Prof. Yılmaz had told me that a fourth transplant would be extremely difficult. My chances of survival were almost zero. But today I am here. I found at home the treatment I had searched for unsuccessfully abroad. I feel as though I have started life all over again.”

- A Mother in Tears: “I Got My Daughter Back”

For Havin’s mother, Evin Bel, the journey was also a years-long ordeal. She explained that her daughter’s illness was detected when she was only one week old and that she could never forget the difficult period they experienced after moving to Germany. “Thanks to our professors, my daughter regained her health. I got my daughter back, and I got my family back,” she said.

Assoc. Prof. Fatma İlknur Varol, a pediatric gastroenterology specialist who followed Havin’s treatment process, noted that Havin is now living a healthy life as a young woman.

Varol also stated that more than 750 pediatric patients have undergone liver transplantation at the center to date. She added that many patients travel to Malatya for treatment from Germany, the United Kingdom, the Turkic states, Arab countries, and Africa.

- Saved by Her Fiancé’s Donation, Now a Mother

One of the many remarkable stories that has become part of the center’s 25-year history is that of Fadime Akaslan. In 2021, Akaslan was referred to Malatya after developing acute liver failure as a result of medication she had been taking. Her condition rapidly became critical.

A liver transplant was the only option for the young woman, whose consciousness gradually began to fade. However, no suitable deceased donor organ could be found. At that time, her fiancé—now her husband—agreed without hesitation to become a living donor. The emergency transplant operation ultimately saved Fadime Akaslan’s life.

Speaking emotionally about her experience, Akaslan said: “Thankfully, we stood by each other and got through it. We had our wedding, got married, and now we have a child. We’re doing very well.”

Providing information about her treatment process, General Surgeon Prof. Fatih Özdemir stated that Akaslan had developed acute liver failure due to medication used in the treatment of tuberculosis. “When she arrived at our center, she was conscious. However, during the course of our monitoring, she lost consciousness and her liver failure progressed to an advanced stage. As no suitable deceased donor organ was available, an emergency living-donor liver transplant was performed using a portion of her husband's liver.”

- 4,400 Transplants in 25 Years, Thousands of New Beginnings

Prof. Sezai Yılmaz, Director of the Liver Transplant Institute at İnönü University, stated that the center has performed more than 4,400 liver transplants over the past 25 years, emphasizing that this achievement is the result of teamwork rather than individual effort.

“We have touched the lives of countless children and adult patients. We have given people hope, a future, and a chance at life. Achieving accomplishments of this magnitude is impossible for a single person. Every one of these transplants is the product of teamwork.”

Prof. Yılmaz also highlighted the center’s global leadership in cross liver transplantation, noting that 38 procedures have been performed to date.

“The area in which we are truly unmatched worldwide is cross liver transplantation. We are unquestionably one of the world’s leading centers in this field.”

The 25th anniversary celebration, held at the Turgut Özal Congress and Culture Center, featured a video message from Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz. Among those attending the event were Malatya Governor Seddar Yavuz, İnönü University Rector Prof. Nusret Akpolat, Chief Public Prosecutor of Malatya Ömer Mete, mayors, academics, students, and numerous patients and their family members.

The program highlighted the Liver Transplant Institute’s 25 years of experience, scientific contributions, international achievements, and its work that has transformed the lives of thousands of patients, making it one of Türkiye’s leading centers in the field of liver transplantation.