- Written by Stephen Watson
- BBC Sports NI
Kidney transplant team Dr Aisling Courtney and surgeons Tim Brown and Hannah McGowan
29 life-saving kidney transplants have taken place in NI in the past two-and-a-half weeks.
The transplant surgery was initially canceled due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
However, almost a third of NI’s kidney transplant waiting list has since been cleared.
That’s thanks to a successful collaboration between Belfast City Hospital, Royal Victoria Hospital and Ulster Independent Clinic.
Dr Aisling Courtney, kidney transplant consultant at City Hospitals, believes this is a remarkable achievement given the current strain on the NHS.
“It’s almost unbelievable to do so many transplants in such a short period of time,” she says.
Belfast remained open while most other kidney transplant centers across the UK closed due to coronavirus
“It’s incredible that something as terrible as COVID-19 has given us a silver lining in terms of bringing new life, amidst everything that’s going on.
“It’s been a lot of hard work, both for NHS staff and for patients and relatives, so it’s great to be able to send a really positive message at this time.”
While most other kidney transplant centers across the UK have closed due to the coronavirus, Belfast has been able to remain open.
Normally housed in a city hospital, the ward was moved to a theater at the Royal Victoria Hospital, where the burns unit became a post-surgical transplant unit.
The operation, which includes a British record of five kidney transplants in 124 hours, was made possible thanks to a deceased donor.
Surgeon Tim Brown said: “It’s very tiring, but we’re just going to keep operating.”
One of the surgeries took place at the Ulster Independent Clinic.
“There was a great sense of accomplishment at the end, everyone was really excited to have achieved this for our patients.
“This is about the best of health care in Northern Ireland coming together to deliver a completely new service. What we have done is created a new transplant program essentially overnight. Belfast is currently the busiest transplant center in the UK. What has been achieved so far is amazing.”
The Royal Victoria Hospital was able to provide facilities and staff for the majority of multiple surgeries as the health service was able to cope with the coronavirus peak.
One operation was also carried out at the Ulster Independent Clinic.
BBC NI sports presenter Stephen Watson underwent a kidney transplant at Belfast City Hospital last year.
Dr Michael McBrien, clinical director at the Royal Infirmary, said frontline staff in Northern Ireland were outstanding.
“Our theater, nursing staff, surgical team, anesthesia team and recovery team have had to adapt to different challenges on a daily basis. It has been extremely difficult, but not overwhelming.” he said.
“The great thing about kidney transplant surgery is that you don’t have to access the life-saving medical care that there was so much pressure to protect.”
Dr McBrien said nurses were working extra hours and there were “many sleepless nights”, but the team “delivered what City Hospital has provided to patients for many years and achieved great results”. .
Among those whose lives have been changed is Chris Ramrakia, who was hospitalized for just three days after undergoing surgery.
Kidney transplant patient Chris Ramrakia spent just three days in the hospital undergoing surgery.
Mr Ramrakia told BBC News NI he felt “very, very lucky”.
“The plan was for my wife to be my living donor, but when the lockdown started, I had given up hope of a transplant this year,” he said.
“I was so lucky to get the call that I could donate my kidney.”
He was worried about the risks posed by the coronavirus outbreak, but his family reassured him and he is now feeling “completely upbeat.”
