Royal Papworth manages to carry out one transplant operation a week during pandemic
New figures released by Royal Papworth Hospital revealed surgeons performed more than 50 transplant operations over the last 12 months - despite the complications of the pandemic.
In total 56 transplants were carried out between April 2020 and March 2021, including 37heart and 19 lung transplants.
Dr Stephen Pettit, Consultant Cardiologist and Clinical Lead for Transplant, paid tribute to the medical teams for their work during what he described as "an incredibly challenging year for everyone in the hospital".
“Despite the pressures on intensive care and the fact people who die of coronavirus cannotdonate their organs, plus with staff being redeployed, we have managed to continueperforming transplants, alongside supporting our patients who have had transplants already and those on the waiting list.
“I'd like to thank the hard work of all of our transplant nursing staff: the transplantcoordinators; donor care physiologists; our surgeons and physicians; and all our colleaguesin intensive care. In addition to treating people from across the East of England with coronavirus, our staff have gone to great lengths to make sure that people can safely access other services."
He said that the hospital was "absolutely committed" to ensuring every time a heart or lungs were offered to someone on the waiting list, the transplant happened.
One of the 37 adults to have a heart transplant at Royal Papworth Hospital was SimonPanton, 46, from Sleaford in Lincolnshire, who had a condition called cardiac sarcoidosiswhich affects the hearts rhythm and function.
“I spent about 15 weeks in hospital during winter both before and after my transplant and felt completely safe throughout. The only down side was watching England in the cricket on TV.
“I’ve been home a couple of weeks now and was not expecting to be feeling this good thissoon. I’m already the fittest I’ve been in the past three years."
Pradeep Kaul, Consultant Transplant Surgeon at Royal Papworth Hospital, added: “Ourheart transplant numbers are actually very similar to a normal year, but because of thenature of coronavirus and how it affects the lungs, it’s lung transplantation where the impact is felt more strongly.
“Some patients have been worried about coming to hospital and therefore stay away or take themselves off the list, but we would reassure people that the pathways for patient care set up at Royal Papworth Hospital has resulted in no hospital acquired COVID infections in our transplant recipients. We will keep striving hard to keep our patients safe."
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