A woman from the city of Buston in Sughd province, Mukhlisa Karimova, has donated part of her liver to her husband Farhodjon Karimov, saving his life.
“I agreed to the transplant without hesitation. He is the father of my three children, the head of the family. He must recover and return to his children,” the woman said thanking doctors, according to the press center of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population (MoHSP).
Farhodjon has cirrhosis of the liver, a type of liver damage where healthy cells are replaced by scar tissue.
The man reportedly had surgery at the National Research Center for Human Organ and Tissue Transplantation in Dushanbe on February 19.
Doctors note that this surgery is unique and it was performed in Tajikistan for the first time.
An official source within a MoHSP says this liver transplant surgery is completely different from those previously performed.
“Despite the complexity, doctors managed to successfully complete the operation. The condition of the spouses is assessed as satisfactory. After complete recovery and receiving the results, we can remove the patient's unhealthy liver,” the source said.
It is already the second liver transplant surgery performed in Tajikistan. The first one was also successfully performed last month
Recall, a man from Shahritous district in Khatlon province, Muhammadi Lolakhonov, has donated part of liver to his wife.
The woman, who eventually needed a liver transplant, also had the lifesaving transplant at the National Research Center for Human Organ and Tissue Transplantation in January thanks to a generous gift from her husband, Muhammadi.
A living donor liver transplant is another option for patients who need to have a transplant but may not be able to wait for a deceased donor match and he was a perfect match.
Muhammadi and his wife shared their feelings in a video interview, emphasizing that they feel good after the surgery. “I love my wife. I want my children to always be healthy,” Muhammadi said.