Dying Canadian flies to Hong Kong to be given part of wife’s liver by HKU transplant team

(SCMP) AdyingCanadianliverpatientwhohadnohopeofbeingtreatedinhishomecountryflewallthewaytoHongKongandwassuccessfullygivenasecondleaseoflifeinanoperationconductedbythecity’stoptransplantexperts.

MikeWatson,39,fatherofthree,sufferedfromasuddenandmassiveinternalhaemorrhageinDecemberwhichledtoaseriousconditioncalledhepatorenalsyndrome–whichcankillwithinthreemonths.

HewastoldbydoctorsinVancouverthathewouldneedalivertransplant,buthewouldhavetowaitsixmonths.

Therewasapointwhereheandhiswife,LisaWatson,begantothinkaboutafuneralratherthanthefuture.Friendsthensuggestedanalternative–anorgandonationfromalivingdonor.

“Therearealotofpeoplewillingtobecomeadonor,butthedoctorsinCanadatoldusMikewastoosicktoundergosuchsurgery,”Lisasaid.

“Theywouldn’tevengiveusasurvivalrate.Adonationwouldberiskytoboththepatientandthedonor.Doctorssimplywouldnotconductthetransplantastherateofsuccesswastoolow,”shesaid.

ThatwaswhenMike’sfamilyandfriendsbegantosearchoutoverseastransplantcentres.TheyfocusedonHongKongandTaiwan.Thelatterprovedtotakelongerforanorgan,whileafriendwhohadcontactsinHongKongputthemintouchwithQueenMaryHospital.

TheorgantransplantteamledbyUniversityofHongKongprofessorLoChung-mautoldthecoupleMikehadan80percentchanceofsurvivingifhereceivedanewliverfromalivedonor.

Sevendayslater,thecoupleflewoverfromCanada,alongwithanurseandmedicalequipmentthatkeptMikealive,aswellasagroupoffamilymembers,friendsandevenaneighbour–allofwhomwerewillingtobeadonor.

ItturnedoutthatthePokFuLamhospital’sorgantransplantboardbelievedLisawasthebestcandidate,andtheoperationwentaheadonMarch1.

TherightsideofLisa’sliver–totallingtwo-thirdsoftheentireorgan–wasremovedandtransplantedintoMike,whoseownliverhaddeterioratedtosuchanextentthatitcouldnolongerfunction.

Bothoperations–aroundeighthoursforLisaand12hoursforMike–provedsuccessful.

Therewerenosignsofanycomplications,whiletherestofLisa’slivergrewinsizetotheextentthatsheregainedherstrength,LosaidonSunday.Hethoughtthecouplecouldbedischargedindays.

Withoutatransplant,Lobelievedthepatientwouldalmostcertainlyhavedied.

Loisapioneerwhomadeliverdonationsfromlivedonorspossiblein1996.

Itwaspreviouslythoughtthatlivingdonorscouldonlygivealeftlobewithoutriskingtheirownlife,butthegraftwouldbetoosmallformostadultrecipients.

Lo’steamhassinceperformedthousandsofliveliverdonationsinHongKong.

“UnlikeHongKong,Canadahasamuchbetterrateoforgandonationfromdeceaseddonors,”Losaid.

“Wehavetorelyonlivedonationtosavelives,butCanadadoesnothaveaverylonghistoryoflivedonations.”

Losaidthesurvivalrateforthosereceivingliversfromlivingpeoplewasover90percentforhisteam.

TheratewasgoodenoughtoconvincetheWatsonstoflyallthewaytoHongKongforthetreatment,forwhichtheypaidHK$1.5milliontothepublichospitalastheywerenotlocals.

Mike,whohadpreviouslyvisitedHongKongonlyonceonadaytrip,saidhehadneverthoughtthiscitycouldbetheplacewherehewouldgetanewlife.

“IfIwerestillinBC[BritishColumbia,Canada],Iwouldbedeadbynow,”MikesaidinQueenMaryHospitalonSundayevening.

“Itwastough.ButIhaveafamilyandthreekids.Ineedtotryanything.”

LisasaidtheyhadwrittentheirwillsbeforetheydepartedforHongKong,notknowingwhetherMikewouldreturnagain.

Mike,whoworksinthewineindustry,didnotgettogivehischildrenaproperfarewellbeforeheleftashewastooweakandtheyhadflu.

“Wecannowfaceourchildrenandsaywedideverythingwecouldandwesucceeded,andthesearethepeoplewhomadethatpossible,”Lisasaidemotionally.

Losaidhisteamshouldthankthecouplefortheirtrust,whichwasstrongenoughthattheyflewhalfwayroundtheglobetoplacetheirlivesinthehandsofsomeonetheyhadnevermetinaplaceaboutwhichtheyknewlittle.

Losaid:“Twentyyearsago,HongKongusedtosendchildrentoAustraliaforlivertransplantoperations.Weusedtobehelpedbyothers.Andnowweareatapointwherewecanhelpothers.Weshouldhelptosavelife.”