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A Belfast hospital has equalled a UK record by carrying out five kidney transplants in a single day.
Surgeons at Belfast City Hospital came just one shy of the world record held by a US hospital, who operated on six surgeons in 24 hours.
The first transplant began at 1.30am BST on Sunday 13 September, with the final one finishing at 9pm that same day.
The five patients were aged between 41 and 56 years old and were undergoing long-term dialysis for end-stage renal disease due to a variety of causes, including type 1 diabetes.
They are Audrius Olinas from Dungannon, County Tyrone, Aidan Murtagh from Newry, County Down, John Finnigan from Cushendall, County Antrim, Fiona Anderson from Garvah, County Londonderry and John McGinley from Londonderry.
Smiled
McGinley, 41, suffered kidney failure six years ago as a result of high blood pressure.
“I got a call on Saturday and was asked to come in. [to the hospital],” He said.
“I waited eight hours and was taken to the operating theatre at 12 o'clock.
“I woke up at 5:30 a.m. and couldn't believe it was over.”
He and the other recipients were informed of the records a few days after the surgery.
“I was just laughing. Me being involved in a record? I couldn't believe it.”
Thanks
Transplant surgeon Tim Brown said the patients had “received the incredible gift of experiencing a dramatic change in their lives.”
“All five were discharged within eight days of surgery, finished dialysis and returned to more normal lives,” he said.
“Our thoughts and heartfelt thanks go out to each and every donor family.”
“Given the relative sizes of Northern Ireland and the US, being just one person shy of the world record shows incredible capacity,” said his colleague James McDaid.
“We normally do one a week but this was five in one day so it's quite unusual.
“They were lucky because it just so happened that the first five people on the waiting list were from Northern Ireland.”
team
On Saturday 12th September, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust was allocated five kidneys from across the NHS.
The five transplant patients were called to the hospital that evening and prepared for surgery after work to ensure their kidneys were compatible.
McDade performed three of the surgeries, while Brown and Mohiyeh Omar performed the other two.
The team included 14 doctors, 20 nurses and three scientists.
Several operating room nurses came in on their days off to help with this major surgical procedure.
