Andy Kavanagh was 18 years old when he started experiencing flu-like symptoms of a cough and runny nose. A few months later, his symptoms worsened and he was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a condition in which the heart loses its ability to pump blood properly.
He underwent further tests. Then, in December 1985, his world changed forever when doctors at Dublin's Mater Hospital told him he needed a heart transplant.
“I told him [the doctor] That must be wrong. “That must be Mr. Kavanagh there,” he said. “Transplanting was new, but it wasn't something you heard about very often, so I knew it wasn't an everyday occurrence. I knew I was on a slippery surface.”
Thirty-eight years after her transplant, Kavanagh said she never expected to be in the position she is in today. He is Ireland's longest-living heart transplant patient and the second-longest living heart transplant patient in the world. At the time of surgery, patients were told that they usually had one to two years to live after the transplant.
When the Dublin teenager underwent surgery at the age of 19 in 1986 under the guidance of renowned surgeons Maurice Nelligan and Freddie Wood, the hospital had only performed a handful of heart transplants.
While waiting for a transplant, Kavanagh contracted infections twice, making him ineligible for a donor organ once it became available.
“Two donors became available and I had an infection, so at that time you just think it's going to happen. You're waiting for it to happen and you think you'll get a chance and then all of a sudden, “I'm sorry, Andy, you have an infection.” And you get back behind the wheel,” he said.
“After that, I was very happy.” [I was told I’d get the transplant]. I knew I would die of heart failure or if the heart transplant didn't work. Or if it works, you've been given a new chance at life. ”
But even after the successful transplant, there were ups and downs. Kavanagh was diagnosed with cancer in 2000 and had to have his kidney removed. The anti-rejection drugs he was taking for his heart soon caused his other kidney to fail, requiring a kidney transplant, which he received in 2006.
Despite this, Kavanaugh said he lived a “long and happy life” and was able to “do everything I wanted to do.” He said his three greatest accomplishments were marrying his wife, having a daughter, and having a grandson.
“My donor David was the same age as me when he passed away and I was lucky enough to meet his family a year after the transplant. I would like to express my gratitude to him and his family. , I placed an ad in the newspaper on my first anniversary and they contacted me. If it wasn't for their decision, I might not be here today – organ donation saves lives.”
Martel Misericordier University Hospital first started its heart transplant program in 1985 and has remained the national center for heart and lung transplantation since then, with over 400 transplants performed.
Over the past decade, the program has expanded to now include mechanical heart pumps. The pumps were implanted in patients awaiting or not eligible for a transplant to keep them healthy and enable them to live fully active lives for as long as possible.
Professor Emer Joyce, consultant cardiologist at Mater University, said the average life expectancy after a transplant is currently 14 to 15 years, but that transplant patients should follow “protocols” to ensure a healthy life and safety post-transplant. He said it was important to ensure that the guidelines were followed. they are on medication.
“We want as many people as possible to live beyond the median survival.”
There were many innovations, including new drugs, machines and AI, that could improve patient outcomes, she added.
Dr Brian O'Brien, Director of Organ Donation and Transplantation Ireland, welcomed the impending legal changes to enable a soft opt-out of organ donation, adding that he “strongly encourages” families to discuss the issue. Ta.
