துவாழ்வு நரம் உறுப்பு தாளம் (Organ donation gives new life)

​A/Prof Shridhar Ganpathi Iyer, Senior Consultant, Division of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, and Surgical Director of the Adult Liver Transplantation Programme, NUCOT, said that since the outbreak of COVID-19, the number of people coming forward to donate organs has dropped. He said the average waiting time in Singapore for a kidney transplant from a deceased donor is nine years. NUH patients Satya and Diksha Anand have kidney failure. Diksha had dialysis at NUH Children’s Kidney Centre three times a week for nearly four hours each time. In 2018 when Diksha was 10, she received kidneys from a deceased donor. Satya still undergoes peritoneal dialysis while waiting for a kidney transplant.

• Tamil Murasu Online, துவாழ்வு நரம் உறுப்பு தாளம் (Organ donation gives new life)
  

Mum with colorectal cancer gets new lease of life with son's liver

​A team from National University Health System has successfully conducted a liver transplantation on a Stage 4 colorectal cancer patient whose cancer has spread to the liver. Madam Lim Gek Meng was initially diagnosed at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital in October 2020 and was immediately put on chemotherapy. In July 2022, Mdm Lim successfully underwent liver transplant at National University Centre for Organ Transplantation, in a multicentre initiative involving more than 50 professionals across National University Health System, including National University Hospital and National University Cancer Institute Singapore. This was Singapore's first such transplant and according to current literature, the first in the region. 

The team led by A/Prof Glenn Bonney, Consultant in National University Hospital's Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Adult Liver Transplantation Programme at National University Centre for Organ Transplantation and Division of Surgical Oncology, National University Cancer Institute Singapore, as well as international experts, formulated a set of consensus guideline with 44 criteria to select and manage patients who are candidates for the liver transplant.

Channel NewsAsia cited A/Prof Bonney as saying that he felt privileged to be able to work in a system that can generate such care, where a Stage 4 colorectal cancer patient is able to be cancer-free following the transplant.

Mum with colorectal cancer gets new lease of life with son's liver

​A team from National University Health System has successfully conducted a liver transplantation on a Stage 4 colorectal cancer patient whose cancer has spread to the liver. Madam Lim Gek Meng was initially diagnosed at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital in October 2020 and was immediately put on chemotherapy. In July 2022, Mdm Lim successfully underwent liver transplant at National University Centre for Organ Transplantation, in a multicentre initiative involving more than 50 professionals across National University Health System, including National University Hospital and National University Cancer Institute Singapore. This was Singapore's first such transplant and according to current literature, the first in the region. 

The team led by A/Prof Glenn Bonney, Consultant in National University Hospital's Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Adult Liver Transplantation Programme at National University Centre for Organ Transplantation and Division of Surgical Oncology, National University Cancer Institute Singapore, as well as international experts, formulated a set of consensus guideline with 44 criteria to select and manage patients who are candidates for the liver transplant.

Prof Chng Wee Joo, Director of National University Cancer Institute Singapore, said that the success of the transplant highlighted a new treatment paradigm, where specific patients with Stage 4 colorectal cancer who fulfilled the necessary criteria may be candidates for liver transplantation.

The Straits Times and various media quoted Mdm Lim as saying that she is "terribly grateful to all the doctors, nurses and even admin staff" who have helped her in the last two years".  

• Lianhe Zaobao, 18 September 2022, Page 1, 本地换肝移除第四期结直肠癌细胞首例 阿兵哥捐七成肝救末期癌母脱险 (First living donor liver transplant in Singapore to remove stage 4 colorectal cancer; National serviceman donates 70 per cent of liver to save mother from terminal cancer)
  

• Shin Min Daily, 17 September 2022, Pages 1 & 4, 22岁阿兵哥捐肝 助肠癌母获新生 (22-year-old national serviceman donates liver to save mother from terminal cancer)
  

• Tamil Murasu, 18 September 2022, Page 2, மகனின் கல்லீரல் தாய்க்கு; உறுப்பு மாற்று சிகிச்சை சாதனை (S'pore successfully conducted living liver transplant from mother to son)
  

• The New Paper, 17 September 2022, Singapore conducts region's first living donor liver transplant on stage 4 colorectal cancer patient
  

• Mediacorp 8world, 17 September 2022, 亚洲首例！本地结肠直肠癌末期病患 成功进行活体换肝手术 (First of its kind in Asia! Singapore's patient with terminal colorectal cancer undergoes successful living liver replacement surgery)
  

• Channel NewsAsia, 17 September 2022, 3.15pm, 10pm
  

• Berita Mediacorp, 17 September 2022, Pemindahan hati beri kehidupan baru kepada pesakit barah kolorektal tahap 4 (Liver transplantation gives new life to stage 4 colorectal cancer patients)

• Mediacorp Sethi, 17 September 2022, சிங்கப்பூரில் முதல்முறையாகப் புற்றுநோயின் இறுதிக்கட்டத்தில் இருந்தவருக்குக் கல்லீரல் மாற்று அறுவை சிகிச்சை (For the first time in Singapore, patient with terminal colorectal cancer undergoes liver transplant)
  

• The Star, 17 September 2022, Singapore conducts living donor liver transplant on Stage 4 colorectal cancer patient
  

• Oriental Daily, 17 September 2022, 孝子捐肝救癌母 东南亚首例肝移植治愈晚期结直肠癌 (Filial son donates liver to save mother from terminal cancer; First liver transplant in Southeast Asia to cure advanced colorectal cancer)
  

• China Press, 17 September 2022, 22岁孝子捐肝救癌母-成就首宗移植治愈晚期癌(22-year-old filial son donates liver to save mother from terminal cancer)
  

小毛病大问题：肝硬化 (Body SOS: Liver cirrhosis)

​Mediacorp Channel 8’s health programme, “Body SOS”, featured A/Prof Alfred Kow, Head and Senior Consultant, Division of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, NUH and Senior Consultant, Adult Liver Transplantation Programme, NUCOT, who elaborated on some of the common symptoms and risk factors for liver cirrhosis, as well as precautionary measures.

Health Suites: Greater assurance to be a living donor in Singapore

​A/Prof Shridhar Iyer, Surgical Director & Senior Consultant, Adult Liver Transplantation Programme, NUCOT, shared his views on liver donor transplants. A/Prof Iyer said that deceased donor liver donation is unable to keep up with the growing demand for liver donors, which makes living donor liver transplantation an important alternative, especially in Singapore.

Social media appeals lead to more liver transplants from strangers

​A study conducted by a team of clinicians from NUCOT found that there were no cases of liver donor deaths among 204 procedures performed by NUCOT and there were less than 10 per cent of donors experiencing complications which were largely minor. A/Prof Shridhar Iyer, Surgical Director & Senior Consultant, Adult Liver Transplantation Programme, NUCOT also noted that online appeals have resulted in more people coming forward to donate their livers to strangers in recent years. A/Prof Shridhar hopes that the study will assure the public it is safe to be a living liver donor in Singapore. 

Health Matters – Liver donor transplants

​A/Prof Shridhar Iyer, Surgical Director & Senior Consultant, Adult Liver Transplantation Programme, NUCOT, shared his views on liver donor transplants. He said that the recipient benefits must be weighed against the risks, and there was an ethical dilemma of balancing the risks between the donor and the recipient. 

本地活体捐肝者死亡率为零 仅1.5%出现严重病发症 (Zero mortality rate among living liver donors in Singapore; only 1.5% suffer serious complications)

​A study conducted by a team of clinicians from NUCOT shows zero donor mortality and low risks of complications in liver donor surgeries performed at NUCOT. The study also shows that despite the inherent challenges faced by Singapore, outcomes of living donor hepatectomy in NUCOT can either match or are even better than the favourable outcomes reported in other centres worldwide. News reports also highlighted that NUH performed Singapore’s first deceased donor liver transplantation in 1990 and the first living donor liver transplantation in 1996. Since then, more than 500 living and deceased donor liver transplants have been performed locally, with NUCOT accounting for 453 cases, of which 227 were living donor liver transplants.   

3岁童患MSUD 半年内2换肝 (3-year-old child with MSUD undergoes 2 liver transplants within 6 months)

​患罕见枫糖浆尿症，大脑受损。3岁童半年内2度换肝保命，接受两次活体肝脏移植手术后摆脱病魔。这男童是陈松言，如今已17岁，母亲陈赛菁（50岁，美术指导员）表示，儿子是2005年的“圣诞宝宝”，出生时看似健康，不料他在出生不到10天后就开始嗜睡，喝的奶也越来越少。她忆述，当时儿子睡得很沉，怎么叫都不醒，因此觉得不妥。

Rising obesity levels in Singapore and the associated health issues

​Dr Kurumbian Chandran, Head of Division and Senior Consultant, Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, stressed that uncontrolled diabetes could adversely affect many body parts. To prevent complications, individuals should maintain a healthy diet and moderate carbohydrate intake, and take their medications on time.

Dr Gopi Krishnan Kamalakkannan, Senior Resident Physician, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, shared that there has been a rise in younger persons aged 30 to 35 years old with hypertension. He advised persons with family history to get checked from the age of 35 and for the general population to undergo yearly checks from age 40.

Dr S. Venkatesh Karthik, Senior Consultant, Division of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Nutrition, Hepatology and Liver Transplantation, Khoo Teck Puat-National University Children's Medical Institute, National University Hospital, explained that many lifestyle associated diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis and fatty liver are linked to body weight. He advised individuals who have issues with body weight and obesity from a young age to take steps to manage their health.

国大医院研究：疫情拖延手术 降低肝移植病患生存率(NUH study: Postponement of surgery due to pandemic reduces liver transplant patient’s survival)

​A study conducted by a team of clinicians from NUCOT, NUH has found that curbs on liver transplant activities beyond a month can greatly affect both short- and long-term outcomes of potential liver transplant patients. During this prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, shorter disruptions compared to longer durations of full or partial restrictions on liver transplant activities may be able to lower the impact on potential liver transplant patients’ overall survival while balancing limited hospital resources at the same time. The team of clinicians involved in the study include Dr Eunice Tan, Associate Consultant; Dr Mark Muthiah, Consultant and Dr Daniel Huang, Consultant, as well as A/Prof Shridhar Iyer, Senior Consultant, Adult Liver Transplantation Programme, NUCOT.
 
Lianhe Zaobao and Shin Min Daily News also interviewed an NUH patient Mdm Long Wai Har who had end-stage liver cirrhosis. She was scheduled to have her living donor liver transplant performed in April 2020 but her operation was postponed due to the pandemic. The patient’s condition deteriorated and she was admitted for acute-on-chronic liver failure. Her operation eventually took place end June 2020.

• Shin Min Daily News, Page 7, 孝子捐肝救母 (Son donates liver to save mum)
  https://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/singapore/story20211217-1224028
• Sin Chew, 因疫情耽误器官移植术 影响病患康复和生存率 (Delayed organ transplant operations due to pandemic will affect patients’ recovery and survival rates)
• Oriental Daily, 妇女患上末期肝硬化 儿子捐肝救母 (Son donates liver to save mum suffering from end-stage liver cirrhosis)

Health Matters – New global initiative to help colorectal cancer patients

​A/Prof Glenn Bonney, Consultant at National University Centre for Organ Transplantation and Division of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, National University Hospital as well as National University Cancer Institute, Singapore, Division of Surgical Oncology, discussed how National University Health System clinicians in Singapore are leading a global initiative that could change how patients with colorectal liver metastasis are managed and treated. They have formulated a patient management algorithm or consensus guidelines, which define the specific patient groups, as well as the tests and classifications that are needed to treat them.

Toddler ‘doing well’ after liver transplant

​She was diagnosed with biliary atresia – a rare liver disease – when she was just 1½ months old. Last September, she was given six months to live unless she could get a liver donor. After an agonising three months of searching and wait-ing, a match was found and she received a liver transplant in Jan-uary this year.

换肝半年 女童情况良好 (Half a year into liver transplant, toddler doing well)

​一岁女童早前寻肝近五个月，终于找到匹配肝脏捐赠者。如今手术半年已过，女童情况良好，似乎没有排斥新肝脏。本报之前报道，女童王瑞廷出世时被诊断患有罕见的胆道闭锁症（Biliary Atresia），去年8月病情恶化，无奈父亲肝脏不匹配，母亲刚诞下男婴，于是去年9月在面簿发文寻肝脏捐赠者，四个月后终于盼来好消息，并在今年1月20日成功进行肝脏移植手术，4月7日出院。

Former liver transplant patient’s family seeks donor

​It was the middle of the night, in August 2019, when Mr Sulaiman Mussein awoke with a start, stumbled to the bathroom and threw up. “I thought it was just vomit – I didn’t turn on the light. But my wife did and she said, ‘there’s blood’,” recounted the 61-year-old in an interview with The Straits Times on Thursday.