Mater Hospital carries out State's first lung transplant

A woman is recovering in intensive care after undergoing the first lung transplant in the State at the Mater Hospital in Dublin last night.

The three-hour operation saw a left lung transplanted by a team led by Dr Jim Egan, lead transplant physician, and Mr Freddie Wood, lead surgeon.

The procedure was carried out at the National Heart/Lung Transplantation unit in the hospital and marks the culmination of a long process to establish a lung transplant programme in the State.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Health Mary Harney said: "I know that this first lung transplant operation represents a huge achievement by the many people who have worked so hard over the last few years to develop the lung transplant programme. congratulate all of those involved, and I wish the patient well."

She also asked for the privacy of the patient to be respected.

The Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland said the news was encouraging for cystic fibrosis patients awaiting lung transplants.

"At the moment the only option for patients who need a lung transplant it to join the waiting list at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle and hope they will get that potentially life-saving telephone call," said ceo Godfrey Fletcher.

"The success at the Mater opens up another option. We hope the transplant unit will continue to receive the funding and the vital support from bereaved families to give new life to people with cystic fibrosis who desperately need this operation."

Up until last year, the lung programme was run by the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, England, which had first call on suitable lungs harvested in Ireland and accepted Irish people awaiting a lung transplant onto its waiting list. In 2003, 17 lungs were harvested.

One-third of patients waiting for a transplant there died on the waiting list.

A commitment to an Irish-based programme was originally given in 1997 and, according to the Department of Health, has been rolled on a phased basis.

It was officially introduced in March 2004 and has been searching for suitable organs since October last year. The programme has a target of 15 lung transplants per year.

Cystic fibrosis victim Billy Burke died last year while on a lung transplant waiting list in Britain. The 29-year-old had campaigned for four years for a lung transplant and had received conflicting medical opinions as to his suitability for transplant.

He was taken off the Freeman Hospital waiting list after two-and-a-half years but was then accepted onto the waiting list by a Manchester hospital.

The heart transplantation programme run at the Mater Hospital is in its 20th year in operation in the State, and 230 operations have been carried out.