Taiwanese singer Tank Lu (Lu Jianzhong) was recently revealed to have been discharged after undergoing combined heart and liver transplantation (CHLT).
The 43-year-old singer and songwriter, who has long suffered from congenital heart disease, successfully underwent Asia’s first CHLT at The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine in China.
In a long post on Weibo on 7 April, Tank revealed that his condition worsened at the end of March 2024, significantly affecting his daily life, prompting him to be admitted to the said hospital for treatment. Doctors told him that the prognosis was not optimistic and that only a CHLT could resolve the condition completely.
He said that following the diagnosis, he worked tirelessly to complete his tours so to avoid any regrets. However, after finishing his tour, his health began to deteriorate rapidly. His heart began to fail, and his liver condition worsened.
“In August 2024, I had fever and infections in my chest and abdomen. By September, I was unable to stand. By early November, I could no longer eat anything, and both my heart and liver functions were severely abnormal, with blood clotting as well. I was despairing, and I’ve never been a lucky person in life – perhaps this was my fate. I discussed with my doctor and manager about going back to my family to spend my last days.”
Fortunately, on 21 November last year, he received an organ donation and underwent Asia’s first combined heart and liver transplant for familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and liver failure. The surgery lasted 12 hours and successfully saved him from the brink of death.
He expressed deep gratitude to the donor for giving him a second life, saying, “This invaluable gift has filled me with courage and strength. I must survive – for ‘the donor’, for my family, and for all those who care about me!”
According to medical sources, the combined heart and liver transplant is extremely difficult, with only a few medical centres worldwide are capable of performing such procedures.
