The organ donations were received from a local man who died two days prior
EMILY.TSANG@SCMP.COM
PUBLISHED : Friday, 01 January, 2016, 1:55am
UPDATED : Friday, 01 January, 2016, 12:21pm
Hongkongers sign up for organ donation. Photo: Felix Wong
Three dying Hong Kongers were handed a New Year gift of life yesterday when they received the donated organs of a man who died on Wednesday.
Among the trio of patients was a 60-year-old man into whom surgeons successfully transplanted both lungs of the 40-year-old male brain haemorrhage patient who was declared dead 24-hours earlier after spending several days in a coma at Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital.
The double lung transplant has allowed the 60-year-old recipient - who suffers chronic from chronic breathing difficulties - to celebrate the New Year.
It also takes the number of successful double lung transplants in 2015 to a record 13 - far exceeding the four of last year and two in 2013.
“The surgery went smoothly, but the patient remains in a critical condition and requiring careful monitoring for the next 48-hours,” said Dr Timmy Au Wing-kuk, cardiothoracic surgery chief at Queen Mary Hospital.
Au described double-lung transplants as “rare”, adding that his team were excited by the successful outcome.
The donor had given all his healthy organs – liver, kidney and lungs – but his heart was not suitable for transplantation.
Au’s expert team, who specialise in heart and lung transplantation went to the Chai Wan hospital to examine the man’s lungs at 9am yesterday and judged their condition to be good.
It took six hours of surgery to transplant the organs into the recipient who has required long term oxygen treatment at home.
At any one time, more than 20 patients are waiting for a double lung transplant. Currently, more than 2,000 people are awaiting the donation of a vital organs in Hong Kong, a society traditionally uncomfortable with organ donation.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1896911/hong-kong-trio-get-transplants-and-gift-life-new
