First Ever Heart and Lung Transplant Successfully Performed in Ukraine
In Lviv, Ukraine, a successful heart and lung complex transplantation took place for the first time. Such operations are conducted only 20-25 times worldwide each year, and this was Ukraine's inaugural procedure. The procedure was carried out by doctors from the "First Medical Union of Lviv," which comprises three private clinics in Lviv. Experts shared details of the operation on the union's Facebook page.
The organ complex was successfully transplanted to 38-year-old Nina from Kyiv region, who had a congenital heart defect and complications with her lungs that had developed throughout her life. According to the patient, her quality of life deteriorated with each passing year, and even climbing stairs to the third floor was a significant challenge.
The operation, during which Nina received a healthy heart and lungs, lasted for 10 hours. Currently, the patient is in stable condition in the intensive care unit, with a long road to rehabilitation ahead.
"This is a historic event not only for our hospital but for all of Ukraine. We joined forces and carried out a procedure considered one of the most complex in the world. A person has been given a chance at life, and we are happy, but very quietly, as the surgical phase is just a part of the journey," said Oleh Samchuk, the CEO of the "First Medical Union of Lviv."
The organ donor was an 18-year-old young man who died in a traffic accident. Doctors tried to save his life but couldn't due to the incompatibility of his injuries with life. In addition to the heart and lungs, doctors successfully transplanted his liver to another person and both of his kidneys, with one being successfully transplanted to a child. Thanks to posthumous organ donation, four people have been given a chance at a normal life.
"We prepared for this operation for over three years. First, we began transplanting hearts, then lungs. And finally, the heart-lung complex. It was incredibly challenging to reach this stage, but we did it, Ukrainian medicine did it. Now, we perform a procedure that is rarely done anywhere in the world," said Roman Domashych, head of the Cardiac Surgery and Heart Transplantation Department at the Hospital of Saint Pantaleon of the "First Medical Union of Lviv."
It's worth noting that Ukraine also witnessed another unique operation in the summer. At the National Children's Specialized Hospital "Okhmatdyt," a 2-month-old child underwent a bone marrow transplant for the first time in Ukraine, with the donor being the patient's 4-year-old brother.