Pioneering transplant highlights Newcastle expertise

The procedure, carried out at the Freeman Hospital, saw patient Mark Wrenn become the first person to receive a lung transplant through the Newcastle Organ Assessment Hub (NOAH) - a pioneering clinical facility designed to assess and improve the quality of donor organs before transplantation.

Expertise driving transplant innovation

At the heart of this innovation is ex-vivo lung perfusion (EVLP), a technique which allows donor lungs that are not suitable for immediate transplant to be carefully assessed, and their quality improved outside the body so they can be successfully transplanted.

Andrew Fisher, Professor of Respiratory Transplant Medicine at Newcastle University, and a leading clinician at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, has spent decades at the forefront of lung transplantation, leading research focused on improving donor lung quality and patient outcomes.

He said: "This milestone reflects years of collaborative research between Newcastle University and Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals Trust and expertise we have developed by understanding how organ perfusion works, leading national clinical trials and testing new treatments used during perfusion.

"Our goal has always been to increase the number of patients who can benefit from transplantation while delivering the best possible outcomes. Facilities such as NOAH, which uses donor organ perfusion technology to improve access to suitable organs, brings us closer to that reality.

"It is a powerful example of how university-led research over many years, working hand in hand with NHS teams, can be implemented into routine clinical practice to transform lives.

" The new NOAH facility represents a major step forward in organ transplantation. We are proud Newcastle is leading such innovations by sharing experience between researchers and clinicians in shaping the future of how transplantation care is delivered."

Patient's life transformed

For patient Mark, the impact has been life-changing.

After being diagnosed with a rare lung condition and facing life on permanent oxygen, he was told a transplant was his only option. With lung function reduced to just 22 per cent, his future was uncertain.

Thanks to the new technology the 40-year-old was able to receive a transplant that may otherwise not have been possible.

Previously fit and working as a telephone engineer, Mark's health declined rapidly, and doctors told him a transplant was his only chance of survival.

Through NOAH's advanced perfusion technology, clinicians were able to assess and prepare donor lungs for Mark more effectively.

Since the operation, he has begun rebuilding his life, spending time with his wife and children and gradually returning to everyday activities.

He said: "Without NOAH, I would still be waiting for a transplant - it's genuinely saved my life. I've gone from struggling to do everyday things to starting to get my life back."

Newcastle Hospitals Charity helped to fund the new EVLP equipment on the new NOAH site.