Lee Sang-jun, 76, received a death sentence of 18 months in 1991 when his hepatitis B progressed to liver cirrhosis. After registering on the brain-dead donor liver transplant waiting list, Lee underwent a 23-hour major surgery at Asan Medical Center in Seoul the following October, gaining a new lease on life. Now, 35 years later, he is the longest-surviving liver transplant recipient in Korea, serving as a living testament to hope.
Medical experts attribute Lee's ability to maintain good health for more than three decades after the transplant to his rigorous self-management. Lee has walked 10,000 steps daily and abstained from alcohol and tobacco. He has never missed his antibody injections administered every 45 days or his regular checkups. He believed that maintaining his own health was a way of honoring his donor.
Lee has also championed the "virtuous cycle of life" by establishing the Korean Liver Transplant Recipients Association and the Nanum Happiness Foundation, which provide surgical expense support for patients in need.
His efforts have contributed to Asan Medical Center performing a cumulative 9,229 liver transplants through the end of last year—the highest number by a single medical institution worldwide. The hospital's liver transplant survival rates stand at 98% at one year, 90% at three years, and 89% at 10 years, surpassing the outcomes of the United States, a leader in organ transplantation.
"Each patient who has maintained a healthy life for more than 30 years after organ transplantation represents the hope created by life sharing," said Lee Seung-kyu, Distinguished Professor at Asan Medical Center.
