★★★Successfully completing the lowest weight organ donation in the country and setting a new record by transplanting two kidneys into two pediatric patients.★★★

Director of General Pediatrics

Dr. Jei-Wen Chang

General Pediatrics - Pediatric Nephrology and Immunology

Expertise:

1. Pediatric Nephrology Diseases
2. Pediatric Allergies
3. Pediatric Autoimmune Diseases

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General Pediatrics

Most people would ask, "What is General Pediatrics?" and "When should I see a General Pediatrician?" When a child is sick but they are unsure about which specialist to see, they can start by seeing a General Pediatrician. Common medical conditions seen in General Pediatrics include: prenatal care, growth and development concerns, constipation, diarrhea, fever, respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, hematuria, proteinuria, hydronephrosis, electrolyte imbalances, asthma, allergies, atopic dermatitis, hypertension, anemia, dizziness, headaches, bone pain, and cellulitis.

Comprehensive and High-Quality Treatment for Kidney Conditions

(1) Individualized Systemic Treatment Plan​ 

In the care and treatment of kidney diseases, our department provides comprehensive services from the early detection of congenital kidney and urinary tract abnormalities to the integration of cross-functional medical care, and the implementation of personalized and precise medical treatments. We offer a systematic treatment plan for children and parents, aimed at reducing complications. For children with severely impaired kidney function, we provide safe and appropriate dialysis treatment based on individual circumstances.

(2) Kidney Transplantation in Infants and Young Children

Our team also encourages children with kidney failure to undergo kidney transplantation so that they can recover and seize the golden period of growth and development. The source of kidney donation is based on the child's condition We recommend living related donors or waiting for organ donation from deceased donors. We promote prioritizing donation from infants and young children for kidney transplantation. In 2020, we completed a rare achievement in Taiwan, which was to perform two kidney transplants from a deceased donor on two young children weighing 12 kg (4 years old) and 19 kg (8 years old), respectively. Both children are currently recovering well. With advances in medical technology, blood type incompatibility and high sensitivity (presence of antibodies against human leukocyte antigens in the blood) are no longer considered transplant prohibitions. Our team designs individualized treatment plans, including early use of anti-rejection drugs, plasma exchange to remove ABO or human leukocyte antigen antibodies from the blood, and intravenous injection of immunoglobulin, and other measures, to overcome compatibility barriers. We have successfully completed high-difficulty kidney transplants for children with blood type incompatibilities or high sensitivity due to pre-existing antibodies, as well as liver transplants for such children.

(3)Cross-team holistic care

Renal function is a critical aspect of emergency and intensive care, and during the acute phase of dialysis treatment, every second counts and careful execution is essential. Dr.  Jei-Wen Chang has extensive clinical experience in providing comprehensive dialysis treatment for extremely low birth weight infants, infants, young children, and school-age children (peritoneal dialysis, hemodialysis, continuous renal replacement therapy, plasma exchange, double filtration plasma separation, plasma infusion), repeatedly helping children overcome difficult situations. In the collaborative process of multidisciplinary care, there has been significant development and experience in dealing with electrolyte imbalances, postoperative congenital heart disease, pre- and post-organ transplantation, chemotherapy-induced toxicity, acute kidney failure caused by septic shock, and congenital metabolic syndromes.

Comprehensive care for allergies and autoimmune rheumatic diseases

Pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus disease often has a higher severity in children than in adults and can often lead to emergency dialysis or plasma exchange due to its impact on the kidneys or other vital organs. Our medical team has sub-specialists in both immunology and nephrology which may provide comprehensive treatments for children with allergies and systemic lupus erythematosus, controlling the disease and preventing the occurrence of complications.