Aussie surgeons hope to perform first stomach transplant
FIRST ON 7: Surgeons who pioneered liver transplants 25 years ago are now setting their sights on performing Australia's first stomach transplant.
Professor Bob Jones, who has performed hundreds of operations, says he still believes they are a miracle.
Renee Cowton was a scared ten-year-old when she became the first child liver transplant recipient in Australia.
"I knew it was huge and I knew that death could happen if it didn't work," she said.
Surgeon, Professor Jones from the Austin Hospital admits 25 years ago the risks were high.
"We sought of thought we knew what we were doing, and we were very lucky we got away with it," Jones said. "We do it a lot better now."
The operation has since been refined and thousands of lives have been saved.
Three years ago Professor Jones performed the first intestinal transplant, now he is preparing for what will be the country's first stomach transplant
Twenty-three-year-old Marianne Thrush, who has intestinal failure is expected to be the first recipient.
"We are still a little uncertain as to what organs Marianne will need, but we'll make that decision on the night," Professor Jones said.
He predicts a potential cure for hepatitis C, stem cell therapy and organ regeneration will replace the need for transplants in the future.
"I think 15 or 20 years down the track we'll probably look back and realize the transplantation we do today is regarded as the dark ages," Jones said.
But for mother-of-three Renee, who has since had a second liver transplant, Bob Jones and his teams' work will always be considered a miracle.
