Two years of waiting, 26 hours of racing: The heart flown from Cyprus and transplanted in Israel

A phone call received in the morning at the National Transplant Center opened a race against the clock: the heart of a young donor who died in a car accident in Cyprus was offered to Israel. An air ambulance was located at the last minute, and a team from Beilinson Hospital was flown to Nicosia.

The heart of the donor was flown to Israel and transplanted into a 45-year-old woman who had been waiting for a transplant for about two years.

The operation began at 10:30 AM, when the National Transplant Center received a call from two transplant coordinators in Cyprus, Christella and Andri. They reported the availability of a heart donation and offered the organ for transplant in Israel.

From that moment, a race against the clock began. The National Transplant Center had to quickly verify the heart's suitability, identify the most appropriate candidate, and activate a complex logistics system to transport the Israeli medical team to Cyprus and return the heart in the shortest possible time. After tests, it was confirmed that the heart was a perfect match for a 45-year-old patient.

The surgery in Nicosia was scheduled for 03:00 AM, requiring the Beilinson heart transplant team to be on-site by 02:30 AM. However, significant difficulties arose: the peak summer vacation season made it hard to find an available air ambulance, and two potential planes proved unfit for the mission.

Eventually, a larger plane was secured, though its use required exceptional budget approval. The procurement division at the Ministry of Health mobilized, including staff on vacation, to ensure the approvals were obtained quickly without delaying the team's departure.

Simultaneously, the handling company "Laufer" managed flight arrangements, security, border control, and transport from Larnaca Airport to the hospital in Nicosia. The customs broker "Yerushalmi" was brought in to facilitate the import of the transplant organ. That night, four transplant teams from different countries were operating in Nicosia: the heart team from Beilinson, lung and liver teams from Greece, and a kidney team from Cyprus.

After the heart was harvested, the critical return phase began. To save precious time, the Cypriot teams organized a helicopter to transport the Israeli specialists directly from the hospital to Larnaca Airport.

In the operating room

At 07:40 AM, the team landed in Israel. Less than an hour later, at 08:23 AM, the heart arrived at the operating room at Beilinson, where the patient was waiting.

By Friday, just minutes before 12:00 PM, the heart transplant was successfully completed—only 26 hours after the initial phone call from Cyprus.

Cooperation between Israel and Cyprus in transplantation has spanned many years, and the National Transplant Center notes that beyond professional agreements, close personal ties have formed between the teams. Maintaining a small tradition, the Israeli team brought cakes and treats for their Cypriot counterparts, a custom observed during every mission to Cyprus.

Shortly after the transplant, a message was sent to the team in Cyprus: "The transplant was completed successfully. The heart is in excellent condition. Thank you."

Dr. Tamar Ashkenazi, director of the National Transplant Center, reflected on the operation: "Behind such a transplant is a long chain of people and decisions that must act with precise coordination. From the moment we received the call, it was clear that every hour mattered. Within a short time, we had to make medical decisions, secure a plane, obtain approvals, and coordinate between hospitals, airports, and customs. 26 hours after the first call, the transplant was successfully completed."