Lung-and-liver recipient will be able to work again

For the first time in Israel, a liver and lung have been successfully transplanted into one patient.

By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
liver 88 (photo credit: )
liver 88
(photo credit: )
For the first time in Israel, a liver and lung have been successfully transplanted into one patient. There have been only a few such operations such as that performed a few days ago at the Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus in the world, the Petah Tikva hospital said. The recipient is a 38-year-old man from the center of the country suffering from a chronic syndrome involving both organs. He was told of the availability of the donor organs on the eve of a planned trip to France for the operation. More than 20 doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists, technicians and others participated in the 16-hour transplant. Dr. Eyal Porat, the head of Beilinson's cardiothoracic surgery unit, said that the two organs are complicated when transplanted by themselves, but when done together, even more so. Prof. Eitan Mor, head of Beilinson's transplant department, said many discussions - including which organ should be transplanted first - were held before the procedure. Putting the patient under anesthesia was also very complicated, as the patient suffered from a serious lung disease and a low level of oxygen in his blood since childhood. During the past year, he was forced to stop working and was able to be mobile only in a wheelchair. He is in good condition and recovering satisfactorily, said Prof. Mordechai Kremer, head of the lung institute. "I expect that in a few months, he will be able to enjoy full functioning and even to return to work," he said.