China's first small intestine transplant receiver celebrates 20th anniversary of rebirth

 XI'AN, May 21 (Xinhua) -- China's first living-donor small intestine transplant receiver celebrated the 20th anniversary of his surgery Monday in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, becoming the world's longest-living patient in such surgery.

The surgery was performed at the Xijing Hospital affiliated to the Air Force Medical University in Xi'an, the provincial capital, in 1999. Then 19-year-old Yang Feng received a 160-centimeter-long section of small intestine from his father. Both father and son are now in good health.

Over the last 20 years, the hospital has performed small intestine transplant surgeries on 43 patients. It leads the world in success rate and five-year survival rate for such surgery.