Two years of waiting, 26 hours of race: the heart flown from Cyprus and transplanted in Israel

A heart from a young donor killed in a car accident in Cyprus was flown to Israel and transplanted into a 45-year-old woman who had been waiting for about two years. The operation began with a phone call at 10:30 AM, involved finding an ambulance plane at the last moment, and a team from Beilinson flown to Nicosia. The transplant was successfully completed about 26 hours after the first call.

A complex medical and logistical operation ended successfully: a heart from a young donor killed in a car accident in Cyprus was flown to Israel and transplanted into a 45-year-old woman who had been waiting for about two years for a transplant. The operation began at 10:30 AM, when the National Transplant Center received a call from two transplant coordinators in Cyprus, Kristella and Andri, who offered the heart. A team from Beilinson was flown to Nicosia, and despite difficulties in finding an ambulance plane due to the peak holiday season, a larger plane was found and exceptional budget approvals were obtained quickly. The operating room in Nicosia was set for 3:00 AM, and the team was required to report at 2:30 AM. After taking the heart, a helicopter transferred the team from Larnaca airport, and they landed in Israel at 7:40 AM. At 8:23 AM the heart arrived at the operating room at Beilinson, and a few minutes before 12:00 noon on Friday the transplant was successfully completed, about 26 hours after the first call. Dr. Tamar Ashkenazi, director of the National Transplant Center, described the chain of decisions and coordination between hospitals, airports, customs, and teams. The cooperation between Israel and Cyprus has continued for years, and the Israeli team maintained a tradition of bringing cakes and treats to the Cypriot team.