My Take | Hong Kong liver transplant expert Lo Chung-mau is a hero wrongly condemned as a villain
The professor’s expertise is recognised around the world, and he has saved countless lives, yet our activists focus on his benign role in university council
We Hongkongers love to beat ourselves up. But every now and then, it’s worth pondering things that we do right – like having one of the world’s great liver transplant team of doctors at Queen Mary Hospital.
But for the efforts of Professor Lo Chung-mau and his team, a 39-year-old Canadian liver patient and father of three would have certainly died.
Mike Watson suffered from a serious liver condition that could kill in three months. However, his doctors in Canada told him he would have to wait six months for a transplant. The waiting list was a virtual death sentence.
But his enterprising wife, Lisa, started researching treatments around the world and found out about Hong Kong’s pioneering transplant expertise.
“There are a lot of people willing to become a donor, but the doctors in Canada told us Mike was too sick to undergo such surgery,” Lisa said. “They wouldn’t even give us a survival rate.”
Lo’s team was able to transplant a substantial portion of Lisa’s liver to her husband. Both have an excellent chance at recovery.