Hello Mike,

On Wed 18 Jul 2001 (08:28:50), thenewbolds@... wrote:
>>..................
>> The impossible problems are that there are insufficient donated
>hearts and
>> heart transplant surgeons to support 7 heart transplant units.

>This is nonsense.

Indeed!

>Surgeons tell us that the technical procedure
>involved in cardiothoracic transplant is fairly straightforward. In
>fact, because the transplant surgeons do some of the most complex
>surgery around, they use all the necessary skills anyway.

In which case why is there a shortage in the UK of all transplant surgeons. The
last figures published showed the UK required a minimum total of 76 transplant
surgeons and only had 56. Why don't the surgeons you know perform transplant
operations. Incidently the original statement made no comment regarding
surgical expertise. Certainly the sooner that transplant surgery is part of the
normal surgical list the better.
>
>>.................

>..................
> There is no logic in closing this unit.

There aren't sufficient donated hearts to support 7 separate heart transplant
units and transplant surgery is still a specialist surgical procedure.

>Why else would they keep two
>centres (Brompton and Papworth) open when they are so close to each
>other? >

I seem to remember reading that Harefield and the Brompton heart transplant
units are listed for closure, too. They are petitioning in the same way that
Birmingham and the other heart transplant hospitals are! The St Georges
transplant unit, I believe is closed, through the lack of a heart transplant
surgeon. It seems capable surgeons don't want to do transplant operations!
Incidently your rural comment doesn't apply since donated hearts are offered to
heart transplant units on a rotational basis excepting in emergency cases.

>>...............

>This is not what patients are being told, and in all the
>documentation I have seen there has been no suggestion that this will
>be the case.

Who is telling the patients that they will have to travel for pre/post
operative care? It would be helpful to BODY-UK readers if you could supply
these references, please.

>day it will be the patients who are going to suffer.

My understanding is that the proposed changes are to improve the medical
outcome for heart transplant patients. Otherwise there will be a repeat of the
Glasgow situation where the heart transplant unit was closed because, as
reported by the media, the transplant surgeon was forced to retire through work
exhaustion!! Again as reported by the media, his replacement refused to perform
heart transplant operations until he had an assistant transplant surgeon!

However, Mike, keep up the good fight.
John E