PATIENTS who undergo an organ transplant are more likely to survive their operation in Ireland than in Britain.
That’s the conclusion taken from findings that were revealed in a HSE report, just launched by the Irish Government.
The report shows that an Irish patient who underwent a heart transplant had a 62 per cent 10-year survival rate, compared to 54 per cent in Britain, against an international average of 55 per cent.
Meanwhile Irish patients who underwent a lung transplant had an 81 per cent chance of survival in five years, compared to 51 per cent in Britain.
The outlook was also better for patients who underwent pancreatic, liver and adult kidney transplants.
Professor Jim Egan, who is director of the National Organ Donation and Transplantation Office, pointed to the quality of doctors and care patients receive in three Irish hospitals – the Mater, St Vincent's and Beaumont – as being significant to the figures.
The HSE report also stated that the average waiting times for a kidney and pancreatic transplant in Ireland is 29 months, and three-and-a-half months for a liver organ.
Patients in Ireland can expect to wait 15 months for a new lung and 11 months for a new heart. More than 600 people across the country are currently waiting for an organ transplant.
Professor Egan added that more organs were needed.
“I would encourage everyone to have a conversation with their loved ones and let their wishes be known about organ donation. This will make decisions easier for families who are faced with the question of organ donation,” he said.
Last year was a record for organ transplantations in Ireland, with 294 carried out in hospitals across the country.
