October Record-Breaking Month for Transplants in Sicily

IRCCS ISMETT-UPMC performed 31 transplants in October, an average of one a day. Half the organs were procured from critical care facilities in Sicily, the other half came from outside the region. IRCCS ISMETT-UPMC donor teams traveled to a number of intensive care units around Italy demonstrating ISMETT’s excellent operational skills.

“A similar number of transplants had never been performed in the history of ISMETT in just one month,” said Angelo Luca, CEO of IRCCS ISMETT-UPMC. “These included 15 liver transplants, one of which from a living donor, 11 kidney transplants, including two from living donors, two heart transplants, two lung transplants, and one combined kidney-pancreas transplant. ISMETT’s four operating rooms were used simultaneously on multiple occasions for these transplants. Thanks to three surgical teams, an efficient organizational model and a close collaboration with the Sicilian Organ Procurement and Transplant Network, consisting of highly motivated qualified professionals, we were able to successfully perform three liver transplants simultaneously, two pediatric and one adult.” According to data from CRT (Sicilian Regional Transplant Center) organ donations in 2023 increased by 30 percent.

“There can be no transplants without donations,” said Giorgio Battaglia, CRT Coordinator. “Once again Sicily demonstrated its generosity. I wish to express my gratitude to the critical care units that allowed this incredible success, to Sicily’s transplant network, evidence of an efficient health system, and to all Sicilians.” Since January 2023 ISMETT has performed 166 transplants: 89 liver, 51 kidney, 13 heart, 11 lung and two multiorgan transplants. Remarkably, 35 living donor transplants, 25 of which pediatric liver transplants, were also performed in the first ten months of 2023.