The first heart transplant in Lviv was performed at the Lviv National Medical University Hospital
The University Hospital of Lviv National Medical University successfully performed its first heart transplant. The new organ was transplanted into a 60-year-old resident of the Lviv region who had been diagnosed with end-stage heart failure. The patient’s ejection fraction was less than 20%, and all options for medical and surgical treatment had been exhausted.
Before his serious health problems began, the man worked hard, built his own business, and helped others resolve legal issues. However, his health subsequently deteriorated significantly: even a simple walk became a challenge. The patient suffered from constant fatigue, severe swelling in his legs, and increasing weakness.
After examination, doctors diagnosed end-stage heart failure. Due to a critically low ejection fraction and the exhaustion of other treatment options, a heart transplant was the man’s only chance of survival.
The patient was placed on the transplant waiting list at the University Hospital. He waited about five months for a donor organ. A chance for survival arose after the death of another 60-year-old man, whose family consented to posthumous organ donation.
The team that performed the transplant included cardiac surgeons Dmytro Beshley, Volodymyr Pryshlyak, Sofiia Vyshynska, and Ihor Protsyk. Anesthesiologists Roman Sobko, Volodymyr Vykhorak, Viktoria Lys, and Lyubomyr Solovey also participated in the operation.
The transplant was successful, and the postoperative period also proceeded without complications. Cardiac surgeon Dmytro Beshley emphasized that this outcome was achieved thanks to the coordinated efforts of a large team of specialists.
The patient himself says he is already feeling much better and has plenty of energy. Further treatment and rehabilitation await him. Once he has recovered, he wants to return to his favorite activities as soon as possible.
For many years, Lviv has held the leading position in Ukraine in terms of the number of organ transplants. The majority of transplants are performed by specialists at the First Territorial Medical Association of Lviv.
In the first nine months of 2026, 137 transplants were performed there: 88 kidney transplants, 29 liver transplants, and 20 heart transplants.
The University Hospital of Lviv National Medical University had previously performed kidney transplants. Now, for the first time, the medical facility has successfully performed a heart transplant, expanding its ability to help patients with severe illnesses.
This was reported by the medical facility.
As a reminder, Lyubomyr Parokhonyak, a 58-year-old surgeon from Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, learned of a dangerous heart condition during a routine checkup. Specialists at St. Panteleimon Hospital in Lviv saved the man’s life by performing an extremely complex aortic arch replacement surgery using a minimally invasive technique for the first time.
As a reminder, Yuriy Halas, a 55-year-old tractor driver from the Lviv region, had almost completely lost vision in his left eye due to a rare tumor that typically occurs in newborns and infants. The man had ignored his deteriorating vision for years until it became extremely difficult for him to work in the fields. Specialists at St. Panteleimon Hospital removed the tumor, and the patient’s vision was partially restored the very next day.
Earlier in Lviv, doctors managed to save 43-year-old Volodymyr from Kyiv, who suffered burns over approximately 50% of his body as a result of a Russian strike on a tanker in the Odesa region.
In Lviv, doctors helped a 62-year-old resident of Khmelnytskyi who was suffering from a critical disruption of blood flow to both legs. The man sought treatment from specialists at St. Panteleimon Hospital, complaining of severe pain and a sensation of coldness in his lower extremities.
