Doctors in Turin have performed a
successful domino heart transplant in the first procedure of its
kind to be carried out in Italy in nearly 30 years, hospital
sources said on Thursday.
A 43-year-old man suffering from a severe lung disease underwent
an associated heart and lung transplant and his heart was then
transplanted into a 51-year-old woman.
The domino procedure was carried out at the Molinette Hospital,
part of the Città della Salute (City of Health) medical complex
in the Piemonte regional capital.
"After nearly 30 years, domino heart transplantation has once
again proven to be a 'simple' strategy for solving a complex
problem," said Città della Salute.
The double surgery was performed in two adjacent operating
theatres and lasted a total of 10 hours.
The City of Health said that the two patients "are improving"
and that they appear to be making a "smooth" recovery.
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