Live Donor Kidney Transplant A First For Thailand

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Live donor kidney transplant a first for Thailand

By The Nation

Published on December 26, 2009

Live donor kidney transplant a first for Thailand

Siriraj Hospital has performed an unprecedented successful kidney transplant - the first of its kind in Thailand - from a live person to a live person.

The surgery was performed on Sirisak Cheewajorn, 56, who was suffering from a terminal kidney malfunction and received a slice of kidney from his son, Chanathip, 20.

Dr Theerawat Kulthanant, dean of Mahidol University's School of Medicine, said both men, who also showed up at yesterday's press conference, were in good health and the son's kidney would fully grow up in the father's body in one month's time. The son was discharged from the hospital after seven days while the father needed 14 days of rest under intensive care.

Dr Yongyuth Siriwatthanaaksorn, the chief of the surgical team that performed the sevenhourand28minute operaฌtion on December 10, said such an operation would cost Bt5 million in Singapore and around Bt10 million in the UK. "But it can be performed at around Bt80,000 to Bt100,000 in Thailand, by Siriraj Hospital," he said.

Around Bt100,000 would be needed each year on immunosuppression medicine for transplant patients to take for the rest of their lives, but a hospital fund would assist them financially.

Previously, transplants of kidneys in Thailand were performed only with kidneys of deceased donors, or donors pronounced "brain dead". The ratio is 1.2 donors per one million people, or around 100 donors each year, while there are 150200 people on a waiting list, resulting in around 20 of them dying while waiting each year, Theerawat said.

Under existing regulations, transplants of kidneys between live people can be done without legal permission in case of people in the same blood group. Married couples can be given permission only if their marriages are longer than three years old - to prevent organs sales. Donors must be 20 years old and in good health.

-- The Nation 2009/12/26

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[mca]

or donors proฌnounced "brain dead".

Must be quite a few Thai politicians sh#tting themselves then.

[mca]

such an operation would cost Bt5 million in Singapore and around Bt10 million in the UK. "But it can be performed at around Bt80,000 to Bt100,000 in Thailand, by Siriraj Hospital," he said

But they are using Lao Kao for anesthetic.

[Lite Beer]

Off Topic post deleted.

[zzdocxx]

Interesting, thanks for posting.

I have not seen the type of kidney transplant (live or otherwise) where a "slice" of kidney was transplanted.

Not quite clear on what was the holdup in doing this live transplant -- state of medical practice in Thailand vs. recent change in regulations?

Anyway that is great!

[kenallday]

Amazing stuff, my Thai girlfriend is the worlds first living brain donor, I haven't noticed much difference since she had the operation but the 30,000 baht came in handy.

merry xmas

[Chunkton]

Amazing stuff, my Thai girlfriend is the worlds first living brain donor, I haven't noticed much difference since she had the operation but the 30,000 baht came in handy.

merry xmas

Pleased she was unaffected but did you notice much of a boost afterward, would you say it was successful?

[MisterMan]

my post got removed, because I said it was shoddy reporting and someone was still drunk. Ok so you added the d to kiney 2x (as the original headline said Kiney) but how much time will it take you to fix the rest ? Perhaps sevenhourand28minutes! HINT HINT!

Terrible that the Nation does not proofread either.

[SM7WGP]

I wonder who is on the correct side of reporting Nation say Kidney transplant and TV news say a pice of Liver is transplanted the the fater and this will then grow.

[zzdocxx]

I wonder who is on the correct side of reporting Nation say Kidney transplant and TV news say a pice of Liver is transplanted the the fater and this will then grow.

Yes a piece of liver, that is a different story and good work.

Funny them getting those two organs mixed up, or maybe not so surprising.

[kenallday]

Amazing stuff, my Thai girlfriend is the worlds first living brain donor, I haven't noticed much difference since she had the operation but the 30,000 baht came in handy.

merry xmas

Pleased she was unaffected but did you notice much of a boost afterward, would you say it was successful?

poor attempt at sarcasm, clearly you will not be adding your underpowered brain to the donor list. Or perhaps you are the recipient LOL.