CAMAGÜEY.- A young Cuban man of only 23 years of age donated his kidney to his father, in the first transplant of this organ with a living donor performed at this central cuban province.

The complex procedure had place at the Manuel Ascunce Domenech University Hospital, with the collaboration of doctors from Holguin, with more experience in that kind of surgery.

When the surgery concluded, the first words of gratitude from Carlos Peón, the patient benefited, went to his son Francisco Javier, who, although from now on, will have to take care of his health a little more, he will be able to lead a normal life with only one kidney.

The father was suffering from a chronic renal failure that forced him to have hemodialysis three times week for over six months.

In statements to the press, Abel Ruiz de Villa, Head of the Transplant department of the hospital and the lead surgeon in that procedure, said it had been a success, proven by the fact that the receiving patient had urinated properly right after the implantation of the organ.

Holguin urologist Roberto Cruz Mayo, with four years of experience in this surgeries, praised the performance of the team of doctors and health personnel of the Camagüeyan hospital, where since 1978 they have made more than 500 kidney transplants with organs of deceased patients.

When the organ is extracted from a living person, the chances of success are greater because the operation can be planned with more time and care, the degree of compatibility is optimal, therefore the chances of rejection are reduced, renal function is recovered faster and there is a greater survival of the receiver, said Dr. Cruz Mayo.

Ramón Estupiñán, a Camagüeyan surgeon who assisted in the transplant, stressed that the conditions are created to continue with this technique in Camagüey, where around 180 patients are treated in the Nephrology service of the University Hospital, and between 50 and 60 new cases arrive annually to receive the dialysis treatment.