Gibraltar’s first transplant performed at St Bernard’s Hospital

GIBRALTAR’S first human corneal transplant was performed on March 19 this year and news of this has just been revealed by the Gibraltar Health Authority (GHA).

Consultant Ophthalmologist, Dr Magdalena Popiela, carried out the surgery together with the GHA ophthalmic nursing team at St Bernard’s Hospital.

The GHA’s Ophthalmic Department, under the lead of Dr Popiela, worked closely with Venice Eye Bank in Italy to source the corneal donor tissue.

Departmental Ophthalmic Charge Nurse, Robert Perez, was also instrumental in ensuring the delivery of the corneal donor tissue from Venice to Gibraltar in 24 hours, with the help of HM Customs and DHL Gibraltar, for the surgery to take place as planned.

Corneal transplants are required when corneal disease causes reduction in vision. In the past, such transplants have been undertaken in the UK.

Depending on the type of transplant, visual recovery can take up to anything between six weeks to two years.

Patients would have had to remain in the UK for a few weeks immediately after surgery and attend fairly frequent follow-ups thereafter. Since the visual recovery takes some time on multiple occasions, patients would have needed to travel with blurry vision until full recovery is complete.

Until 2005, when the new St Bernard’s Hospital opened in Waterport in what was planned to be either a hotel or office block, residents had to make their way to the old hospital which was well past its ‘sell by date’ in an area where access was quite complicated.

Dr Popiela, said: “This milestone achievement for the GHA’s ophthalmic department makes patients’ treatment more accessible with no need to travel to the UK, which is of particular benefit given the pandemic situation. Gibraltar’s first corneal graft patient is recovering well from the surgery under close supervision of the eye department at St Bernard’s Hospital”.

Minister for Health, Samantha Sacramento, said: “I am hugely proud of the GHA having achieved this tremendous progress.

“It seems incredible that we are now able to offer this surgery at home by repatriating this service, our patients can feel safe and comfortable and the burden of travel is no longer necessary. I would like to thank everyone involved in making this a reality.

“This achievement is a first for the GHA and is one that Gibraltar should be immensely proud of.”