'Live' liver transplant dad's boost

Consultants at St James's Hospital in Leeds said Stephen Lomas, 51, is making excellent progress following the pioneering operation during which his son David donated more than half his healthy liver.

The surgeons believe the technique will offer new hope to the 300 or so people on the liver transplant waiting list at any one time.

More than 600 patients have liver transplants in the UK every year with organs from dead donors.

But the number of donors is far exceeded by the number of patients desperately waiting for a transplant.

Specialists say around a fifth of these die while waiting.

Mr Lomas, who like his son is from Ulverston, Cumbria, said he is looking forward to going home following the eight-hour operation in twin operating theatres 12 days ago.

A hospital spokesman said he was due to undergo scans to check his progress and he could be discharged in the next few days.

Mr Lomas said: "They said I'm doing well and I feel better every day. I'll obviously need some time to recover but everything's looking good."

He has described his son David's gesture as "tremendous". Mr Lomas said he became ill about three years ago and after a series of tests he was told he had advanced liver disease. David, 20, was released from hospital just a few days after the operation in which he donated 60% of his healthy liver to his father.