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Pioneers in Liver Transplant
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| Thomas E. Starzl |
Sir Roy Calne |
Dr. Subash & Dr. Tanaka |
Dr. Koichi Tanaka
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| “It is my desire to keep walking through life as an engineer, and to continue producing results that are useful to society” |
- Dr. Koichi Tanaka
As brain death was not recognised in Japan when Tanaka returned from Pittsburgh in 1987, he began experimental work in dogs to promote living related liver transplantation. Together with his experience from Pittsburgh which was doing over 500 liver surgeries in a year, his efforts bore fruit in 1990 when living donorliver transplantation began being conducted in Kyoto University under Prof. Tanaka's guidance. Since then he has performed over 1000 living related liver transplantation and is the author of numerous books and papers.He has been described as" Dr. Tanaka epitomises the modern, international academic surgeon; he has studied, lectured at and visited almost all the transplantation centres around the world. what is unique, however, is that he has managed to develop active clinical LDLT programs.
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A person of his energy and personality clearly attracts a plethora of students, whom he generously takes on his foreign trips. he spreads these enthusiastic young colleagues like seed on the ground where he believes they will grow. There is productive interaction betwen Kyoto and most transplanation centres around the world."
Prof. Tanaka, a true pioneer has faced numerous obstacles during the process of evolution, but has done his utmost to overcome them. He has placed special emphasis on establishing and applying innovative surgical techniques. This resulted in publication of the book, " Living donor liver transplantation" a bible for most new living related liver transplant surgeons. This book provides detailed explanation of well experimented surgical techniques for transplantation from the living donor.
Calne, 64, was educated at Lancing College and received his medical training at Guy's Hospital, London. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1973, and was knighted in 1986.
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