A true Christmas miracle involved Emilia (fictitious name), 57 years old, who after 13 years of waiting received a new heart. This extraordinary transplant was made possible by the doctors at the hospital Monaldi of Naples, led by Dr. Claudio Marra, responsible of Heart Transplant Center of the Colli Hospital Trust.
Emilia had been hospitalized for six months in the T-Zone, a recently established area dedicated to the hospitalization of patients waiting for a transplant or who have already undergone the operation. He lived with a severe familial dilated cardiomyopathy, a disease that seriously compromised the functionality of his heart.
Her clinical history was particularly complex. The woman's immune system in fact presented an extremely high level of sensitization, with the presence of antibodies that made her incompatible with 97% of donors available. A very rare condition, which required a multidisciplinary and highly specialized approach.
A team of over thirty professionals, including cardiologists, immunologists, internists, infectious disease specialists, anesthetists and cardiac surgeons, has developed for Emilia a personalized treatment plan. After having subjected the patient to a desensitization therapy To reduce the level of antibodies, doctors inserted her into a innovative immunological protocol, developed in collaboration with the National Transplant Center and supervised by Professor Luciano Potena, director of the operational unit of Heart Failure and Transplants of the IRCCS Policlinico di Sant'Orsola.
The long and delicate journey found its happy ending during the Christmas holidays, when a compatible heart finally became available. The organizational machine was immediately activated, involving the Regional Transplant Center (CRT), the medical management of Monaldi and a team of surgeons, anesthetists and specialized technicians.
The successful surgery allowed Emilia to begin a new chapter in her life. She is currently doing well and is excitedly awaiting her return home. “During these long months of hospitalization we have become fond of Emilia. Her story has touched and involved all of us,” the lawyer stated Anna Iervolino, general director of the Colli Hospital.
Emilia's transplant represents one of the most significant results of 2024, the year in which the Centro Transplants of Adult Heart has adopted a new organizational model. The balance is extremely positive: twenty heart transplants e seven mechanical assistances at the club were created thanks to teamwork that demonstrated the effectiveness of the new approach. “These excellent results give us an incentive to continue on this path and build an even more solid future for patients waiting for a transplant,” concluded the general manager Iervolino.
Article published on 2 January 2025 - 11:21
This article was very interesting and presented a story of hope. It is amazing how the doctors were able to find a compatible heart for Emilia, despite the difficulties. I hope other patients can have the same success.