Sister donates ultimate gift of life
On Monday, after almost a decade of damage to his kidneys, 31-year-old Cathal Mooney received a vital transplant that should ensure his health for at least the next three decades.
The gift came from his 28-year-old sister Kate, who has risked potential health issues in the future to help her sibling.
The procedure was all the more impressive as it involved the first ever laparoscopic kidney transplant in Ireland — a keyhole-type surgery which drastically reduces recovery times, obvious scars and potential health problems for the donor.
While laparoscopic surgery has previously been used in other countries, it has not been available in Ireland until now, due to a lack of expertise on the issue.
Cathal, from Marino in Dublin, became the first Irish beneficiary of the procedure after the Beaumont Hospital transplant at the start of the week.
He insists it is a major breakthrough for renal treatment in this country, and one from which both he and his sister are grateful to benefit.
“I’ve been sick for a few years and I was getting more and more sick without realising it. I got so bad that I was getting sick in the morning, having terrible headaches. About a year and a half ago, after lots and lots of tests, we finally found out that it was a problem with my kidneys. My sister was a perfect match, and while I was reluctant for her to do this she wanted to help. The surgery was on Monday and she’ll be discharged today so this type of procedure really is such an improvement.”
“She’s given me such a gift,” he added.
The benefits of the new transplant concept — carried out by a clinical team led by Ms Dilly Little, head of Beaumont’s Living Related Donor Programme — include a less intrusive procedure compared to convention open surgery.
A lower risk of post-operative pain, infection or long-term complications have also been apparent in recipients from other countries.
For many donors the most important practical benefit is a saving in time and money.
Open surgery usually requires a donor to take between eight and 12 weeks off work to recover, but with the laparoscopic procedure this timeline can be reduced to less than a fortnight.
The first form of this surgery took place in the US in 1995, with interest in the technique leading to a growth in doctors performing laparoscopic procedures across North America and continental Europe since the early part of the past decade.
Mr David Hickey, clinical director for nephrology, urology and transplantation at Beaumont Hospital, said the approach will have a key role to play in closing the gap between the number of patients with end-stage renal failure awaiting transplants and the availability of suitable organs.
