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Chapter III. Putting Hong Kong Surgery on the World Map
Doing More with Less
Researchers did not have much in The lack of research training hindered
the way of laboratory equipment or outcomes, though, said Professor KH
facilities, so they focused on clinical Lam. “We did so-called research every
cases, collecting the data by hand. Friday afternoon. We would go to the
animal laboratory on Sassoon Road
As Professor John Wong recalled: – it was very primitive with mainly
“When I first came, research was dogs. As I remember it, it was GB’s
Adapted from British Journal of Surgery, 1964 . basically to record or summarise a idea to use them to prepare for liver
10
patient’s age, sex, disease, diagnosis, transplants. There would be me and
operation, etcetera, onto a card a little another classmate and two senior
bigger than A4 with holes punched surgeons. We would anaesthetise
Letter from the patient who underwent Hong Kong’s
first kidney transplantation in 1969. at the top and sides. Each hole the dogs, cut out the liver and try
corresponded with a different item. to protect it. But we never succeeded
The Department’s clinical space also grew as Ong expanded his “empire” We had a file cabinet with the cards in keeping the dog alive. We also
over his 18 years as Head. In 1964, when he arrived, the Department was and to do research, you would get a operated to remove the oesophagus,
responsible for 92 beds in Queen Mary Hospital. By his retirement in 1982, long, steel narrow wire or stick and using the intestine to replace it, and
it had 800 beds across four hospitals: Queen Mary Hospital, Kwong Wah thread that through the holes you were tested whether blood supply from the
Hospital, Grantham Hospital for the cardiothoracic unit, and Tung Wah interested in and pull those cards out. skin could go into the intestine. It
Hospital for day surgery and convalescence.
It was rudimentary, but still we got was very primitive research, not well
published.” thought out. I thought it was a waste
of time.”
Oesophageal reconstruction
in humans (circa 1964).
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