Teen heart-lung transplant a UK first, says Royal Papworth Hospital

A teenager who had a heart-lung transplant has been discharged after undergoing a process attempted for the first time in the UK, a hospital said.

Freya, 17, was admitted to Cambridge's Royal Papworth Hospital in March 2022 with heart and organ failure.

A device to support her heart enabled her liver and kidneys to recover.

Her consultant said it was the first time they had carried out a double organ transplant on a patient with the BiVAD heart insert.

The insert remained in Freya's heart for nine months while a suitable donor was found.

Freya, who underwent a heart and lung transplant in December last year, was finally discharged this week after 15 months in hospital.

"I'm OK; it was really emotional [leaving]," she said.

She added she was "nervous but excited to go home" and looking forward to seeing her dog called Digit.

Freya, from Amesbury in Wiltshire, arrived as an emergency patient after struggling with her breathing and having gone into full organ failure.

Cardiothoracic consultant Steven Tsui described Freya as a "great character with a huge amount of courage" who had undergone a "traumatic experience".

The teenager was one of the hospital's longest-staying patients and she had recovered well "despite many complications", he added.

Mr Tsui said after the BiVAD was inserted into her heart, they discovered her lungs were very scarred and not functioning properly.

As a result they decided she required both a heart and lung transplant.

"It was quite tricky, because to do a heart-lung transplant is a very complex operation, and to do it in a sick patient who is on bio-VAD is something we have not done before," said the consultant.

"I don't think it's been done in the UK either."

Mr Tsui added the NHS hospital had to make Freya strong enough to undergo the operation and they had also had to "convince other treatment centres in the UK to allow us to have this set of organs".

"We knew it would be a rollercoaster ride. She's come out on top and we all feel on top of the world because she's going home," he added.

Consultant physician Dr Jasvir Parmar said Freya's transplant operation was carried out on her birthday.

"It's been very special to see someone that ill and that incapacitated recover - it's incredible. It's testament to what we can achieve given the opportunities," he said.

Dr Parmar hoped that more people would consider organ donation.

"Without that very, very special gift on her birthday, I'm not sure we would have Freya still with us," he said.

Complications arose after the transplant as one of the donated lungs had become twisted.

Doctors had to remove that lung, meaning Freya only has the one lung.

Freya, said she had 24-hours, one-to-one care, whilst on the critical care unit.

"They're all great, they're just like one big family and I'm just really thankful to them all," she said.

Both Freya and her mother Linda said they were "very grateful" to the person who donated their organs to her and their family.

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