UK first lung transplant using new machine taken place in Cambridgeshire
A man from Northampton has become the first recipient
Doctors at Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in Cambridge have successfully completed the UK's first double-lung transplant, using a new machine which 'reconditions' organs.
49-year-old Daniel Evans-Smith received his transplant with the surgical technique ex-vivo lung perfusion (EVLP).
It sees a new machine take organs which would only initially be considered 'marginally acceptable or marginally unacceptable' for transplant, and reconditions them outside of the body, to make them a good enough standard for transplants.
Daniel, from Northampton, said: "“I feel very privileged to have been offered the opportunity to be in this situation.
“Last year it was discussed that I may soon need palliative care. Without having a lung transplant soon, the likelihood was that I wouldn’t survive much longer.
“I was woken early in the morning to news that a potentially suitable set of lungs had been found and they were going to be put on the machine to assess them.
“It was very sudden but the lungs performed well and the transplant went ahead.
“I can’t thank my donor and their family enough. Even in this short period of time after transplantation, my life has improved from where I was this time last year.”
EVLP has only been used a handful of times for transplants in the UK, largely including clinical trials.
The new machine, and dedicated programme, is said to be 'a significant breakthrough in improving lung transplantation in the UK."
Mr Marius Berman, Surgical Lead for Transplantation at Royal Papworth Hospital, said: “We are very proud to have become the first UK hospital to use this machine for a clinical ex-vivo lung perfusion case, which has helped to provide Daniel with suitable donor lungs. Without this innovation, he may still have been waiting for a transplant today.
“While this marks another important milestone for our lung transplant patients, it also marks a new beginning for Daniel who continues to receive expert care from our multidisciplinary teams.”