The Eye

Daniel Foster was dying from primary sclerosing cholangitis, which was diagnosed more than ten year ago. The only way forward was to have a liver transplant. and doctors said he needed one within a year.  In the UK, like the rest of the world, the list of those waiting for a transplant far exceeds donors. Jennifer Foster saved her husband Daniel’s life by donating more than half her liver. It was the first of its kind in Scotland, and took place in January this year.

The risks were high, said experts. The procedure at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh lasted about 10 hours. Mrs Foster was discharged from hospital after 6 days, and also her husband too, who is on the road to a full recovery.
The liver is capable of rapid regeneration. The right lobe can be removed and transplanted into a recipient. This is followed by regeneration in both the recipient and the donor so that the liver has the potential to grow to full size in both patients.

8,000 patients across the UK wait for a life-saving transplant, and about 1,000 die or are taken off the waiting list because their health has deteriorated to the point where a transplant is no longer viable.

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