Norway’s crown princess placed on lung transplant waiting list

Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit has been added to the waiting list for a lung transplant due to her worsening chronic lung disease, doctors at Oslo’s Rikshospitalet announced Friday.

Speaking at a press conference, lung specialist Are Holm stated the princess’s condition had “significantly deteriorated” in recent months, calling the situation “dangerous.” Transplant listing typically requires patients to have a life expectancy of about one year without intervention while remaining strong enough to endure surgery and recovery, he explained.

Holm, who has overseen Mette-Marit’s treatment, was joined by Arnt Fiane, head of heart and lung transplant services at Rikshospitalet. Together, they now hold responsibility for the princess’s medical care.

Fiane noted Norway performs roughly 30 to 35 lung transplants annually. The procedure’s success relies on a multidisciplinary team assessing disease severity, surgical risks, and post-transplant quality of life.

Espen Rostrup Nakstad, a lung medicine specialist and former deputy health director, described the pair as “highly skilled professionals with extensive experience in managing severe lung disease.” Jesper Magnusson, a transplant surgeon at Sweden’s Sahlgrenska University Hospital, called Norway’s transplant team “very strong, with excellent survival rates,” adding he would trust their care as a Norwegian citizen.

Both doctors hold professorships and leadership roles at Oslo University Hospital. Holm, a graduate of Germany’s Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, has led Rikshospitalet’s lung department since 2021. Fiane heads the hospital’s thoracic surgery division.

Marthe Gundersen of the Norwegian Heart and Lung Association praised their expertise, noting they operate within a team handling “some of the most demanding medical evaluations in Norway.”