Belarusian doctors finish preparation for lung transplantation in Austria

      A team of doctors from Belarus is in Austria to finish preparation for Belarus’ first lung transplantation, Head of the National Organ and Tissue Transplantation Center Oleg Rummo told reporters at the 20th Belarusian Medical Forum.
      “We are working hard to become thoroughly proficient in lung transplant surgeries. We set up a special unit for that and are purchasing the necessary equipment. The team that will perform Belarus’ first lung transplant surgery is in Austria now to master the last details of the surgery. In the second half of this year we are to conduct the lung transplant surgery and come up with a program that will allow doing many operations of this kind in our country,” Oleg Rummo said. In his words, the waiting list of people in need for lung transplantation is being compiled now. It features a little bit more than 10 people. 
       In 2012 some 274 transplant surgeries were performed in Belarus. Since the start of 2013 their number exceeded 100, including 74 kidney transplantations, 17 liver transplantations, 10 heart transplantations and 3 pancreas transplantations. The number of transplant surgeries per one million people in Belarus stands at 29. To compare, the figure in Russia is 9.1 and 2.2 in Ukraine.