News & events

2007 was an above average year for organ donors with 88 families who gave the gift of life from their loved ones. Seven of the donors were not of Irish origin, which reflects our now multicultural society.

This genorosity transferred into 141 deceased donor kidney transplants, 49 liver, 7 heart and 4 lung transplants. There were 5 pancreas transplanted simultaneously with a kidney transplant. Two of the liver transplants were also conducted simultaneously with a kidney transplant. Five more kidney transplants were conducted via living donors making a total of 145 kidney transplants in 2007, the same numbers as 2006.

The liver transplant numbers were down slightly by 6 on the previous year. This is after 3 successive record breaking years of transplantation. St. Vincents carried out its 500th liver transplant during the course of 2007. Heart transplantation at 7 was half of the 2006 figure and lungs went from 9 in 2006 to 4 in 2007. Heart and lungs are the hardest organs to match. They have to be absolutely perfect before a transplant can be carried out.

The first Cystic Fibrosis lung transplant carried out in Ireland was one of the 4 lung transplants in 2007. The UK still conduct lung transplants on behalf of Irish patients. In total, 214 people received organ transplants in 2007 in Ireland, of which 7 had two organs transplanted at the same time.