The Cystic Fibrosis Association welcomes the first CF double lung transplant at Mater Hospital Dublin
The Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland (CFAI) welcomes the announcement that the first Irish double lung transplant has successfully taken place on an Irish CF patient, Paul Minchin at the Mater Hospital. We understand that the Paul has made excellent progress and was discharged from hospital this afternoon. The Association appreciates the excellent work being carried out by the medical team and hopes that the Irish lung transplant programme can continue to make speedy progress. We wish Paul a speedy recovery and every success in a totally new life that will open up for him as a result of his transplant.
Godfrey Fletcher, CEO CFAI stated that “Previously all Irish CF patients had to travel to the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle. At any one time there is anything between 20-30 patients on the combined Mater-Newcastle lung transplant lists. This year 4 Irish CF patients have received lung transplants, 3 in Newcastle and 1 now in the Mater Hospital. There is a great shortage of organs particularly lungs and we need to do everything in our power to ensure that every patient on the transplant list has the best possible chance of receiving a transplant within the shortest waiting period.
Ireland, similar to the UK has a lung retrieval rate of approximately 20% i.e. lungs are retrieved from about 20% of all multi organ donor offers. The UK believes that this statistic can be improved upon as other European centres are reporting recovery rates of 45%. Last year in Ireland we reported 89 multi organ offers and from this 8 double lungs and 10 single lungs were retrieved. It is imperative that we put procedures in place that will increase the number of lungs being made available for transplant.
More than 1,100 people in Ireland are living with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and by 2010, this number is expected to rise to 1,335 people. CF is Ireland’s most common life-threatening inherited disease. It is a multi-organ disease for which there currently is no cure. For a considerable number of CF patients a lung transplant is often the only remaining option. Life expectancy and quality of life for people with CF improves in direct proportion to the availability of proper medical care and facilities.
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For more information, please contact:
Godfrey Fletcher, CFAI, Tel: 086-8265001
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