The number of transplantations set a record in Hungary in 2019 - writes pecsma.hu, referring to MTI.
The Hungarian heart transplant program has had the highest number of transplants last year since its launch, the National Blood Transfusion Service said to MTI on 3 January. 72 heart transplants were performed at the two heart transplant centres in Hungary, 64 at the Semmelweis University Heart and Vascular Centre, eight at the György Gottsegen National Institute of Cardiology.
They emphasized that organ transplantation is one of the wonders of medicine and mankind, as it provides patients with end-stage organ failure with the best quality and often only one cure. However, transplants that save lives and improve quality of life require donors and donor organs. The organs come primarily from deceased, brain-dead people with pounding heart in Hungary and across Europe. In Hungary, the Organ Coordination Office of the National Blood Transfusion Service is responsible for organizing both organ procurement alerts in Hungary and international organ exchange.
Overall, in 2019 there were more organ donations in Hungary (180 deceased donors) as in the previous year (168). In 2019, 440 organ transplants were performed in seven organ transplant centres in the four university cities in Hungary. Last year, 252 deceased potential organ donors were notified from fifty hospitals to the Organ Coordination Office, in 180 cases organ procurement was performed in 41 hospitals. 543 organs were removed from the deceased and thirty from living donors for transplantation.
A total of 266 kidney transplants were performed at four kidney transplant centres in Hungary, 236 from deceased and 30 from living donors. The most, 153 kidney transplants (including 23 from living donors) were performed last year by the Transplant and Surgery Clinic of the Semmelweis University, Budapest.
There were 33 kidney transplants at the University of Szeged Department of Surgery, Department of Transplantation; 40 kidney transplants (including 4 living donors) at the University of Pécs Department of Surgery, Department of Transplantation; 40 kidney transplants (including 3 living donors) at the University of Debrecen Clinical Centre Department of Surgery, Department of Transplantation.
There were 79 liver transplants last year in Hungary, all at the Semmelweis University Transplant and Surgery Clinic. 18 lung transplants were also performed at the Semmelweis University Thoracic Clinic operating at the National Institute of Oncology.
Combined kidney and pancreas transplantation was performed in 5 cases in 2019 in two Hungarian centres, Budapest and Pécs. Last year, 610 new patients were placed on organ transplant waiting lists, as of 31 December, there were 1435 patients waiting for organ transplantation. Most of them are expecting a kidney, according to the data of OVSZ.