June 7, 2008
First 'incompatible blood' kidney transplant here a successBy Nur Dianah Suhaimi
SINGAPORE
KIDNEYS failing, a weak heart, no suitable kidney donors - that was Mr Khairul Anwar Ibni's predicament a month ago.
His doctor gave the 46-year-old only a few months to live.
But two weeks ago, the former senior airline officer not only received a new lease of life, he also made history.
The life-saving kidney he got was from his wife, Madam Radiyah Mohamad Som, 43, a teaching aide.
But Mr Khairul's blood type is O+ while his wife's is A+. In medical jargon, the operation is called an 'ABO incompatible transplant'.
He became the first person in Southeast Asia to receive a kidney from someone with a different blood type.
Dr Lye Wai Choong, a renal specialist in private practice at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, and a team of four other doctors, did the transplant operation on May 27.
The procedure - albeit a high-risk one - means a recipient can now accept a kidney from any donor even when blood types do not match - hence the 'ABO' in its label.
http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest+News/Singapore/STIStory_245390.html
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