South African health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang who has undergone liver transplant is convalescing well. This was announced by the minister’s medical team.
Professor Russell Britz the Head of the Transplant Unit at the Johannesburg Hospital and Wits University disclosed that the minister needed this liver transplant very urgently and that she did not jump any queue to get this operation done.The Measure for End Stage Liver Disease (MELD) which determines the urgency of the liver transplant was done on her. It was found that she had a high score on this which reiterated her need for a new liver. He also added that in case of a delay in a renal transplant, a machine can be substituted to perform the role of kidney whereas such measures are not possible when it comes to liver. There is also an issue of donor compatibility involved in this.
Professor Jeff Wing, the minister’s physician said that a patient stays in the ICU for ten days after a liver transplant followed by a month’s stay at the hospital. He also added that it takes around 5-6 months for the patient to recover completely. Currently the minister is responding to the treatment and is recuperating well.
Source-Medindia
JYT
