By Olivia Miwil- 30 September, 2016 @340pm.
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KOTA KINABALU: Although a small but growing number of Malaysians are registered as organ donors, few have been found to have organs viable for transplant.
Selayang hospital liver transplant surgeon Dr Krishnan Raman, 55, revealed that in 2016, only one liver transplant could be performed due to poor quality donor livers.
"This year, we received eight calls on brain dead patients who had pledged to donate their organs.
"However, only one of the livers was healthy, while the rest were fatty livers which were the result of poor diets and lack of exercise, among others," he said at the EndoQE 2016 hands-on workshop at Queen Elizabeth hospital here.
Another challenge is the low organ donation rate in Malaysia, despite many awareness campaigns being held over the years to educate people.
"The awareness programme is costly and requires backing from the government and private sector to be sustained," he said. Dr Krishnan, who is the Selayang hospital Hepatopancreaticobiliary department head and consultant, has performed 80 liver transplants with his team since 2002.
His first transplant involving a living donor was a woman from Kuching, Sarawak, who donated part of her liver to her then 4 year-old boy.
"It is rewarding to see both of them. They visit us at Selayang hospital every year, and they are well."
As of March this year, there are 19,895 patients on Malaysia's organ waiting list. Of that number, 19,871 are in need of a kidney; 10 are liver patients; six are heart patients; and eight are in need of lungs.
(File pic) Though an small increase in the number of organ donors, not many transplant were conducted due to the poor quality donors.
Link
KOTA KINABALU: Although a small but growing number of Malaysians are registered as organ donors, few have been found to have organs viable for transplant.
Selayang hospital liver transplant surgeon Dr Krishnan Raman, 55, revealed that in 2016, only one liver transplant could be performed due to poor quality donor livers.
"This year, we received eight calls on brain dead patients who had pledged to donate their organs.
"However, only one of the livers was healthy, while the rest were fatty livers which were the result of poor diets and lack of exercise, among others," he said at the EndoQE 2016 hands-on workshop at Queen Elizabeth hospital here.
Another challenge is the low organ donation rate in Malaysia, despite many awareness campaigns being held over the years to educate people.
"The awareness programme is costly and requires backing from the government and private sector to be sustained," he said. Dr Krishnan, who is the Selayang hospital Hepatopancreaticobiliary department head and consultant, has performed 80 liver transplants with his team since 2002.
His first transplant involving a living donor was a woman from Kuching, Sarawak, who donated part of her liver to her then 4 year-old boy.
"It is rewarding to see both of them. They visit us at Selayang hospital every year, and they are well."
As of March this year, there are 19,895 patients on Malaysia's organ waiting list. Of that number, 19,871 are in need of a kidney; 10 are liver patients; six are heart patients; and eight are in need of lungs.
(File pic) Though an small increase in the number of organ donors, not many transplant were conducted due to the poor quality donors.
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