Iran among world's top 10 countries in liver transplant

Tehran, Nov 3, IRNA – Deputy Health Minister for Research and Technology said that at least 500 liver transplant surgeries are performed in Iran annually and the country is among top ten countries in the world in liver transplants. 'Liver transplant surgery is practiced in seven Iranian cities, mainly in the southern city of Shiraz,' said Reza Malekzadeh in an interview with Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA). He added that 85 percent of the surgeries are living-donor transplantation. In living transplant, the donor is the brother or the father of the donee and donates half of his liver. The first liver transplant surgery in the world was performed in 1964, but it was not until 1980 that it was confirmed as a treatment. Iran saw its first liver transplant surgery in 1993 in Namazi hospital in Shiraz.