Mater Hospital marks 40 years of heart transplants
The Mater Misericordiae University Hospital recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of Ireland’s first heart transplant, writes Rose Barrett. Since that first ground-breaking operation, which took place in September 1985, the Mater Hospital’s National Centre for Heart and Lung Transplants has performed 447 life-saving heart transplants.
It was through the determination of pioneering surgeons Mr Maurice Nelligan and Prof Freddie Wood that heart transplantation was made available to patients in Ireland.
Heart transplantation was still in its infancy in 1985, and available at only a number of major global centres, their leadership and skill laid the groundwork for a programme that has since offered a second chance at life to nearly 500 people.
Andy Kavanagh was one of the first patients in Ireland to undergo this pioneering surgery in 1986, aged 19 years old. A year earlier, he became seriously ill from what seemed to be an ordinary flu. It proved to be cardiomyopathy, a debilitating illness that attacks the heart muscles. The team at the Mater led by Prof Freddie Wood put Andy forward for transplantation.
“I was very sick before my transplant. It was a risk at the time, taking a chance on something that was so new in Ireland,” Andy said. “Thankfully, the team at the Mater gave me that option. Four decades later, I am doing great, working full-time, going to the gym daily and living a full and active life.” Andy is now one of the longest surviving heart transplant patients in the world.
Prof Freddie Wood who carried out Andy’s surgery said, “When we carried out the first transplant, we didn’t know what the long-term outcomes would be. To see patients not only survive but thrive for decades after is extraordinary.”
The 447 life-saving transplants have each been made possible through the generosity of organ donation. “For many patients, organ donation is their only hope,” said Prof Emer Joyce, Consultant Cardiologist at the Mater Hospital. “The prognosis is much better today. None of this would be possible without the courage of donors and their families. Organ donation saves lives.”
The transplant programme has continued to evolve, with the Mater Hospital introducing durable left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) as part of the heart replacement therapy programme in 2009. The Mater Hospital is also a specialist centre for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for patients with severe heart or lung along with being Ireland’s national heart transplant centre.
Mater Hospital CEO Josephine Ryan Leacy said it was a wonderful time to recognise and celebrate the impact of heart transplantation in Ireland.
“The Mater Hospital is proud of our legacy in transplantation and we remain committed to growing the programme and advancing care for the next generation of patients.”
