A Relay of Gift of Life
The First Relay Liver Transplantation Using Hepatitis B Liver Graft
Liver transplantation (LT) is an established life-saving operation for patients with end-stage liver disease. Perioperative mortality and long-term patient survival have improved tremendously in recent decade. Since October 1991, the LT team at Queen Mary Hospital, the University of Hong Kong has performed more than 1,100 LTs with an overall success rate greater than 90%. However, the supply of deceased organs cannot meet the increase in demand for LT and over 50% of the liver transplant grafts are from living donors. Each year, more than 100 patients are listed for LT in Hong Kong and around one third of them died while waiting for a liver. Each liver graft is therefore a precious gift of life.
Brain death of a former liver recipient is a rare event. Re-use of liver graft for a relay LT is extremely uncommon.
On 2nd October 2014, the LT team at Queen Mary Hospital, the University of Hong Kong has performed the first relay LT from a HBV donor. The donor was a 60-year old man who died of stroke at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. He underwent deceased donor LT in 2003 for HBV liver cirrhosis. He had normal liver function after transplantation and his HBV infection was well controlled. Because of good liver function and suppressed HBV infection, his liver was considered suitable for donation. In addition, his kidneys and corneas were also donated to benefit other patients. The liver recipient was a 37 year-old man who suffered from HBV related liver failure and was in critical condition. This liver graft was transplanted for the second time,
11 years after the first transplantation to benefit another patient and once again, to save another life.
This is a relay of gift of life. It is one of our team’s innovations in order to help more patients with end-stage liver disease in Hong Kong. It is only possible with the generosity and selflessness of two donors and their families across the decade.
Liver Transplant Centre, Queen Mary Hospital
16th October 2014
大愛重贈 生命接力
首例以曾接受肝移植的乙型肝炎病毒帶菌者為遺贈器官捐贈者的重贈肝臟移植
肝臟移植是公認的挽救末期肝病患者的手術治療方法。 近十年，圍手術期與長期生存率有了較大的改善。 自1991年10月起，香港大學瑪麗醫院肝臟移植圑隊完成了超過1100例的肝臟移植， 成功率超過90%。然而，遺贈器官的供應不及需求的上升，在香港每年約有100位患者等候肝臟移植， 其中三份一等不到肝臟以離逝。因此每個肝臟都成為生命的珍貴禮物。
曾接受肝臟移植的病人腦死亡後，再作遺贈器官捐贈者是相當少見，而再用移植的肝臟作供肝更為罕見。
2014年10月2日，香港大學瑪麗醫院肝臟移植圑隊完成了首例以曾接受肝臟移植的乙型肝炎病毒帶菌者為遺贈器官捐贈者的重贈肝臟移植。捐贈者為60歲男性，因腦血管意外在伊利沙伯醫院離逝，2003年他因乙型肝炎肝硬化曾接受遺贈器官肝臟移植。肝移植後，肝功能一向正常，乙型肝炎控制良好(乙型肝炎表面抗原及乙型肝炎病毒基因呈陰性)，故認為適合作遺贈肝臟捐贈者。此外，他的兩個腎臟和一對眼角膜同時捐贈給予其他病人。而肝臟受贈者為37歲男性，患有乙型肝炎末期肝衰竭。十一年後，這個肝臟第二次被移植，它又再一次拯救了另一生命。
重贈肝臟移植是生命的接力。這是我們團隊幫助末期肝病患者的一個革新，全賴兩個捐贈者和他們的家庭，相隔十年慷慨無私的奉獻。
瑪麗醫院肝臟移植中心
二零一四年十月十六日