Liver from oldest-ever local donor, 84, saves woman's life at last moment

Ina Rubinstein, a mother of two from Beersheba, underwent the liver transplant.

By JUDY SIEGEL
liver 88 (photo credit: )
liver 88
(photo credit: )
The oldest-ever Israeli whose family donated an organ for transplant is an 84-year-old woman whose liver was given to a 59-year-old woman. The donation saved the recipient's life at the last moment. Until now, the oldest donor was a 75-year-old man. The Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus in Petah Tikva said that as a result of the successful operation, it will change its previous age limits and be able to expand the number of organ donations. Ina Rubinstein, a mother of two from Beersheba, underwent the liver transplant. She said after she woke up in the recovery room that she thanks the donor family from the bottom of her heart. This was the third time that Beilinson "harvested" and transplanted an organ from a donor who died at an age beyond the official limit for donation. A few months ago, a heart was transplanted from a 66-year-old woman. The usual limit for a heart is 55 years. Senior doctors in the transplant department said that thanks to the large amount of experience and knowhow and new medical developments, the hospital can undertake transplants that are considered very complicated. A successful donation from the body of an octogenarian will allow the Israel Transplant Center to register donor organs from older people and expand the supply, doctors said.