Transplants stopped after failures

Derriford Hospital's renal services are being reviewed

Kidney transplants from living donors in Plymouth have been stopped after 80% of the procedures this year failed.

The chief executive of Plymouth Hospitals Trust has ordered a review of the kidney unit at Derriford Hospital after four of the last five operations to transplant a kidney from a live donor failed.

One patient died as a result.

According to national averages, all the operations should have been successful.

There has been an increase in living donors

A separate review of Derriford's renal services has also been commissioned by another health authority.

Derriford's live donor success rate of 20% compares with a national rate of 95%, which is why an investigation was instigated.

Paul Roberts, Chief Executive of Plymouth Hospitals Trust, said: "Last year all our live donor transplants were successful. But this year, they've not been.

"What we have to do is look behind those statistics and have a look at what's going on and find out if there's a problem. If there is a problem then put it right."

In Britain, more than 5,500 people have kidney failure and are waiting for transplants, but there is a serious shortage of suitable organs from donors who have died.

Increasingly, the solution has been the donation of a kidney from a living volunteer, usually a relative.

Failure 'traumatic'

At Derriford, fewer than 10% of the transplants are from live donors, but that figure could have been expected to increase.

When any transplant fails, it is distressing for the patient, but consultants say the failure of a donor transplant from a living relative can be even more traumatic.

Paul Lear, a transplant surgeon from North Bristol NHS Trust said: "Obviously there's an investment, a huge emotional investment by the family, either the siblings, parent, child or the spouse undertaking this procedure.

"And, of course, the knock-on effect psychologically can be enormous because they themselves feel their donation has been rejected."

Dorset Health Authority, which sends patients to Derriford for transplants, has commissioned a separate review of renal services in Plymouth following complaints from some patients.

Two years ago, Plymouth Hospitals Trust escaped a threat to close the unit when it was suggested there were too few patients to justify it.

The results of the two inquiries are expected soon and will most likely decide if the unit is to continue at all.