The disease the 16-year-old suffered from has been developing unnoticed and gradually throughout many years. - The boy would adapt to its symptoms, without being aware that he is ill. Which is why this diagnosis turned out to be quite surprising for him, as well as for his family – clarifies Prof. Mariusz Kuśmierczyk, the head of the Department of Cardiac Surgery of the UCC MUW.
The boy’s health status deteriorated within a little over ten days. After his admittance to the UCC MUW, the doctors gave him intravenous heart support drugs to support his heart function and to keep him alive. He was immediately qualified for transplantation. Luckily, a donor was found after only three days.
The heart was transported on a police helicopter, which allowed it to reach UCC MUW in less than 1.5 hours. This is exceptionally important, as the maximum time of the so-called "cold ischaemia" of the heart is 4 hours. The risk that the procedure is going to fail continues to grow after that. While waiting for the heart, the team of medical professionals prepared the boy’s chest cavity for the procedure. The heart has reached to operating room at the ideal time.
The specialists at the UCC MUW have managed to successfully transplant a heart again on August 19. The recipient was another 16-year-old boy with a congenital heart disease – tricuspid valve atresia, an underdeveloped right heart ventricle. The boy has been waiting for a heart transplantation practically from the moment he was born. He managed to survive for the transplantation due to the artificial ventricle, which has been implanted three weeks before. This allowed his condition to stabilise.
- The second transplantation was more complicated, as it was carried out in a patient with a single-ventricle heart. These types of transplantations are rare in Poland and in the world – says Prof. Kuśmierczyk. - The connections in the thoracic cavity of such patients made due to the previous procedures, are inadequate compared to the connections made in an appropriately developed heart. In order to be able to implant a new heart and to allow it to function, the chest cavity must be adequately prepared beforehand. This usually takes a lot longer; four hours are not enough at times. Luckily, the procedure was carried out efficiently, and we managed to make it in time.
The heart also reached the UCC MUW due to the help of the police. It was transported with a police helicopter directly to the UCC MUW airport.
The boy feels well after the operation. Now, similarly as in the case of the first patient, he is awaiting multiple medical check-ups which are going to show if the heart was accepted or if rejection is underway.
The prognosis is good in the case of both patients.
Successful transplantation at the UCC MUW is the success of the entire team which made them happen. Krzysztof Zając, the transplantation coordinator at the Central Clinical Hospital of the UCC MUW, was responsible for transporting the hearts. The transplantations were carried out by the team of: Prof. Mariusz Kuśmierczyk from the Department of the Cardiac Surgery of the UCC MUW and Michał Buczyński, PhD from the Department of Pediatric Cardiac and General Surgery of the UCC MUW. During the first surgery, the anaesthesia was provided by: Izabela Pągowska-Klimek and med. Beata Cała from the Department of Pediatric Anesthesiology and Intensive Care of the UCC MUW, while at the second transplantation, Izabela Pągowska-Klimek, PhD and med. Dariusz Skaba. The heart from the first donor was collected by med. Mateusz Kuć, PhD and med. Adam Arendarczyk. The second organ was collected by med. Mateusz Kuć, PhD and med. Zbigniew Popiel. Immunosuppressive treatment is carried out by Małgorzata Sobieszczańska-Małek, PhD from the Department of the Cardiac Surgery of the UCC MUW.
At today’s press conference, organised at the Pediatric Clinical Hospital UCC MUW, it was underlined that the two successful heart transplantations are the beginning of the planned organ transplantation programme at the UCC MUW. A programme, which is going to deliver new opportunities for many groups of patients with illnesses. Not only for those who need hearts, but also the lungs and patients who require multiorgan transplantations, which faced slim chances of successful treatment in our country so far.
– We wish to inform the public, that the organ transplantation program at our university hospitals continues to develop and opens up opportunities for patients, who had been deprived of hope, not only for health but also for life – said Prof. Zbigniew Gaciong, MUW Rector, during the conference. He thanked the transplantation team and all the persons involved in the transplantation. – We also wish to thank the Ministry of Health for granting us the accreditation for performing the transplantations. Which should not come as a surprise, as we meet all the conditions required to start such programme. And we have not failed the trust, as early as 11 days after receiving the accreditation, we have performed the first transplantation – he added. The rector has also emphasized the great involvement of the police: - Without police assistance, transplantology in Poland would have not been as successful, and plenty of procedures would have not only been impossible to carry out, but they would also end up as a failure.
The 16-year-old patient – the first out of the two operated boys – has joined the conference from a separate room. He talked about his issues with his health which resulted in the heart transplantation. He emphasised that he was feeling really well, and that all the medical examinations he was subject to after the transplantation gave good results. Which is why he hopes for a normal life and to carry out his professional plans. He dreams about working in the advertising industry.
The conference concluded with an appeal not to waste hearts. Professor Wojciek Lisik, Vice Rector for Clinical Affairs and Investments addressed the society at large, including the medical community to report donors for transplants. The Rector backed up the Vice Rector. – I kindly ask you to promote the idea of donating organs in all possible ways, in all media. The motto for today, tomorrow and forever is: leave the hearts on the ground. This is going to save the lives of all patients – summarised Prof. Zbigniew Gaciong.
So far, transplantations of the liver, kidneys, pancreas and marrow were performed at the UCC MUW. The approval of the Ministry of Health for the lung, heart and multiorgan transplantation in adults and children was granted in July this year. In the case of children, this may involve transplantations from live donors. This opens up a chance for numerous sufferers, in particular because the centre aims to allow the organs from one donor to be transplanted in one place, without the need to transport. It is also worth noting that the UCC MUW is the second centre in Poland where transplantations in children can be performed.
Statistics show that 173 transplantations were carried out in total at the UCC MUW from the beginning of 2022. 60 kidney transplantations from cadaveric donors, 22 liver transplantations from live donors, 85 liver transplantations four pancreas transplantations and two heart transplantations were carried out in that time. Compared to general Polish statistics, the UCC MUW is responsible for each eight kidney transplantation from a cadaveric donor, every second kidney transplantation from a live donor, every third liver and every second pancreas. It is worth noting, that out of 111 hearts transplanted nationwide, only 10 were pediatric transplantations, out of which as many as 2 were performed at UCC MUW.
Please read the interview with Prof. Mariusz Kuśmierczyk on the first heart transplantation at the UCC MUW.
Please find below a video from the first heart transplantation at the UCC MUW.
