Before now the only way to receive a heart transplant, for
children, was for the circumstances of the donor to be such that the heart was
still beating.
It is only since 2015 that adults have been able to receive
transplants from donor hearts that have been allowed to stop beating with that
surgery being the first in Europe.
There has now been a breakthrough with this now being
offered to children thanks to the collaboration of the Royal Papworth Hospital,
in Cambridge, and Great Ormond Street Hospital. A special device called the
organ care system can help keep a heart beating outside of the body for up to
12 hours and means donor hearts from paediatrics can be used in a wider set of
circumstances.
A recent BBC article suggests that, in the past, children
have to wait around 2 and a half times longer than adults to receive a donor
heart. One positive of 2020; it saw the busiest year in a decade for heart
transplants in children in the UK. Six of the new type paediatric heart
transplants were carried out with only 4 others being carried out worldwide.
Medicine and technology, yet again, helping the UK lead the
way to a better future.
To learn more about how we can help you, speak to our specialist Clinical Negligence team today by calling 01484 821 500, or email us at [email protected] to request a call back at your convenience.