Regarding the number of kidney transplantations with non-alive donors, the Department of Transplantation and Surgery of Semmelweis University is still at the first place among the 8 member-countries of Eurotransplant; 139 such kind of interventions were done last year – said Dr. Zoltán Máthé director- based on the latest summary presented by Eurotransplant in 2017. The university professor also added that since 2014 they had done the most of these interventions among the 77 European kidney transplantation centers. They carried out 74 liver transplantations last year still keeping the 3rd place for the third time among the 49 European centers in 2017.

Altogether 168 kidney transplantations were completed in the Department of Transplantation and Surgery of Semmelweis University last year, in 139 cases the organs were originated from braindead donors. Dr. Zoltán Máthé emphasized that in the last four consecutive years among the 77 Eurotransplant centers of 8 countries most of the kidney transplantations with non-alive donors were operated in the Department of Transplantation and Surgery of Semmelweis University. The director also added that in one year the number of kidney transplantations with alive donor increased significantly, from 19 to 29, when the donor of the organ was a near relative. He also presented that regarding kidney transplantations the western and eastern regions of Hungary are supplied by Semmelweis University, that means 5.2 million people. The 60% of kidney transplantations are performed in the Department of Transplantation and Surgery.

In the case of liver transplantations Semmelweis University became the 3rd center among the 46 liver transplantation centers of Eurotransplant in the last 3 consecutive years. Such kind of intervention is done only in the Department of Transplantation and Surgery of Semmelweis University, 74 people were given new and life-saving organ there last year. Dr. Máthé highlighted that in the past few years new methods, based on international experience, were introduced at the Department: half of the patients did not need to get blood derivatives during operation, the time of the operation significantly shortened, the recovery and healing quickened. A big amount of the patients spent only two weeks in hospital.

Among the 8 member-countries Hungary joined the last to the Eurotransplant that had been founded 50 years ago. The Department of Transplantation and Surgery of Semmelweis University was in the front-line after one year and has kept its leading role in the last four years. Dr. Máthé enhanced that transplantation is a teamwork, in every case a coordinated and successive activity of a team of at least 20-30 experts is necessary for the success.

Tímea Kele
Photo: Attila Kovács, Semmelweis University
Translation: Edina Szendreiné Nagy