In a situation characterized by significant challenges, a kidney transplant involving a cross-donation program was postponed following an energy outage affecting the Iberian Peninsula. Dr. Nuno Gaibino explained that, despite the disruptions, this was the only procedure that needed rescheduling.
“The complexity primarily arose because we are dealing with a planned transplant activity that does not solely depend on our country. It relied mainly on a cross-donation program, specifically a renal transplant scheduled for today,” Dr. Gaibino stated.
The national coordinator of Transplantation at the Portuguese Institute for Blood and Transplantation noted that the transplant had been planned weeks in advance and that the recipients had undergone immunosuppression therapy, necessary for the procedure.
Faced with these circumstances, after consultations between the National Transplantation Coordination, hospital administrations, and the Spanish National Transplant Organization, the decision was made to postpone the transplant to May 1. This involved coordination between two hospitals in different countries and the cooperation of the Portuguese and Spanish Air Forces.
“From this perspective, we had an absolutely historic response, as we were able to reschedule without compromising what is critical in transplantation activities, particularly regarding this specific situation,” Dr. Gaibino highlighted.
“Thus, the final assessment amid this energy crisis was quite positive for our area, and we managed to maintain almost normality in our operations,” he observed.
Dr. Gaibino noted a “herculean response” from the National Donation and Transplantation Network. The National Transplantation Coordination acted promptly from the initial hour of the blackout, adhering to predefined contingency plans.
“Donation and transplantation activities are always urgent. Initially, we had to assess the situation on the ground after 11:33 AM, the critical time, and we knew there were hospitals engaged in donation activities,” he said. These hospitals had undertaken extractions overnight and had planned transplants for the afternoon.
Other hospitals were preparing to initiate extraction processes, and it was decided, in coordination with transplant coordination offices and hospital administrations, that only urgent cases would proceed given that operating rooms and intensive care units were operating on backup generators with limited autonomy.
“This meant we had to delay some activities for a few hours,” Dr. Gaibino explained, adding that, in one hospital center, it was necessary to delay the kidney transplants by a few hours.
The transplant was eventually completed by late afternoon in that hospital center, which ensured all urgent activities proceeded. At another hospital in Lisbon, organ extraction occurred amidst cardiac and circulatory arrest situations.
In light of the circumstances, the national coordinator affirmed the effectiveness of the established network: “We did not lose a single organ or donor, and all patients scheduled for urgent transplants were handled as planned.”
“The response was highly effective, and indeed, the success was attributable to every excellent professional working in this field, showcasing the capacity of the National Health Service to respond,” praised Dr. Gaibino.
The International Renal Cross-Donation Program (PIDRC) between Portugal and Spain, which also includes Italy, allows kidney donors and recipients from different countries, who are incompatible with each other, to undergo a cross-renal transplant.
