Marathon Organ Transplantations

Yet another marathon of organ transplant surgeries took place within 24 hours at Schneider Children's – where three children received a liver and two kidneys – less than a week since the previous marathon which granted new lives to four children following organ donation of a heart, liver and two kidneys. The latest recipients are recovering in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Dr. Efrat Bron-Harlev, CEO of Schneider Children's, stated that "in the past 24  hours, Schneider Children's conducted an important and exciting marathon of transplant surgeries. This is the second organ transplant marathon in less than a week. Seven children received the gift of life over a few days, one of whom marked her birthday on the precise day of the operation. We are very proud of the honor to participate in saving lives. At the same time, we share in the grief of the bereaved families and thank them deeply for their amazing gift."

Schneider Children's is among the few pediatric centers in the world capable of performing multiple organ transplantations. In order to conduct four consecutive complex surgeries one after the other in a short space of time, exemplary readiness and preparation is required of the hospital teams in the surgical suite, organ transplant, cardiology, imaging, ultrasound, intensive care, and nursing sectors.

Schneider Children's conducts the majority of organ transplants in children in Israel. Since its inception, more than 700 heart, lung, liver and kidney transplants have been performed in infants, children and adolescents at rates of success on a par with the finest medical centers in the world.