Heart transplant service for kids a possibility in NSW by year’s end

Some of the sickest children in NSW are still being forced to travel to Melbourne for lifesaving heart transplants. But that could soon all change with critically-ill kids to go under the knife in Sydney for the first time.

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Critically-ill children may soon be undergoing lifesaving heart transplants in Sydney for the first time.

While a world-class service for adult heart transplants exists at the city’s St Vincent’s Hospital, some of the sickest children in NSW are still being forced to travel to Melbourne for the lifesaving operations.

NSW families are also having to crowd fund their expensive trips to the Victorian capital because Sydney can’t help their child.

Cardiac surgeons at the Children’s Hospital Westmead (CHW) have been lobbying to get a service up and running before the end of the year and it is understood there is support for the creation of a NSW paediatric heart transplant service.

Sick kids will soon be able to go under lifesaving heart transplants in Sydney. Picture: Supplied

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The CHW is already a leading centre for children who require liver transplantation, but to date paediatric heart transplants are only officially performed in Melbourne, which requires a three month hospital stay for children and their families.

Doctors are also concerned that some NSW children are missing out on the gift of a new heart because they are too sick to travel.

Two surgeons at the CHW are fully trained in heart transplantation.

Twleve NSW children had their heart transplant in Melbourne in the 10 years between 2006-07 and 2016-17, according to a NSW Health statement.

Transplant Australia CEO Chris Thomas said he was aware of the desire CHW doctors had to offer the service in NSW.

Doctors at Children's Westmead Hospital are lobbying to get a service up and running before end of the year.

“If the clinical indicators are there we would be supportive,” he said.

“On the surface we would like parents and children to remain in their home state, because it is a huge inconvenience and disruption and it is a significant drain on health care services, and if that could be avoided, we would be very supportive.

“But we would also want to make sure there is enough work for surgeons to do to be extremely proficient at it,” Mr Thomas said.

Khylie Brown’s daughter Azri needed a heart transplant after being diagnosed with restrictive cardiomyopathy in 2016.

The Blacktown mum had no option but to move to Melbourne for three months so her then eight-year-old could receive a new heart, which she received last year.

“We came home in May 2018, very grateful for the transplant, but it was emotionally and financially a revolting experience,” the 47-year-old said.

Azri Mortimer, 10, and her mum Khylie Brown, were forced to move to Melbourne for three months so she could get a heart transplant. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Like many families in her position, she turned to charity to keep the household afloat and left her 10-year-old son at home with other family members.

“I was the main earner in the family and I ran out of sick leave so my colleagues were raising money for us to pay the bills, but we had no option because my daughter would not have made it otherwise,” Ms Brown said.

Ms Brown said the service should be offered in NSW because not all parents can make the move and some children are too sick to travel.

Several sources have confirmed the plan is underway.

However the NSW government would not comment, beyond that it was “investing more than $1.3 billion in significant capital upgrades to both the specialist hospitals that form the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network” to ensure the very best paediatric health facilities.

Originally published as Heart transplant service for kids a possibility in NSW by year’s end