World’s longest surviving transplant patient celebrates 30 years

On 20 November, the Netcare team predominantly from Milpark and Groote Schuur Hospital celebrated the successes and milestones of organ transplant patients.

In focus was Hendrika van Wyk and Wessel Janse van Rensburg, who are in their 30th and 20th year post transplant surgery respectively.

Van Wyk is the longest surviving female transplant patient in the world with a donor heart, having undergone surgery in 1984 as a 20-year-old with a congenital heart condition.

A medical team of experts from Cape Town and Johannesburg took the opportunity to gather and hold an academic conference prior to the celebration, to share their knowledge and generate ideas to further advance the field of organ transplants.

Anton Gillis, Milparks’ general manager introduced the medical specialists who have, over the decades, performed and tended to the continued well-being of transplant patients.

Mande Toubkin, Netcare’ general manager in emergency, trauma and transplant expressed her deep gratitude to the multidisciplinary team who all work in synergy to ensure the health and comfort of countless transplant patients, from the dedicated doctors and nurses, the helicopter pilots who ensure safe transportation of donor organs, the cleaning staff who look after the environment of the patients and to the goodwill of the organ donors who make it all possible.

Transplant surgeons Dr. Graham Cassel and Professor Johan Brink reflected on the advancements made in medicine in the past decades and shared their experiences having worked with, and tended to, transplant patients Van Wyk and Van Rensburg over the years.

Dr. Cassel emphasised the record longevity of the transplant patients while Dr. Brink noted that in 1995 Wessel van Rensburg’s operation was highly successful in the most unusual and unique case of a double transplantation, after the original patient who received the heart past away as his body could not withstand the shock.

“The miracle of transplantation has enabled me to live a full life these past 30 years. I am so grateful to have had the privilege of being given a transplant, it gave me the opportunity to meet my husband and adopt my daughter. I have treasured every minute of this second chance I have been given” said Hendrika van Wyk.

The celebration of these various successes and lives of transplant patients is a eminent reminder of the monumental advancement in medicine that was pioneered in South Africa by Dr. Chris Barnard some 50 years ago.