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Is it ethical to perform a 43-hour operation, even one that is life-saving?

Dr Tomoaki Kato, a trailblazing surgeon in the US, performed a 43-hour ex vivo surgery to remove a tumor from a 59-year-old man who said it was too early to die, the New York Times has reported.

A massive tumor had engulfed numerous organs, and chemotherapy had no effect. An ex vivo surgery - in which the organs are removed, operated on, then re-inserted into the body - was his only hope.

An amazing surgery. A brilliant surgeon. But even his boss isn't sure if spending 43 hours on a single patient is ethically correct, in a context of limited resources.

Posted in Overseas News on 15 December 2009
Tags: surgery