Claire Murray, a 25-year-old former heroin addict has undergone a successful live-liver transplant operation that lasted more than six hours in a Singapore hospital. Sources cited that bother Claire and her aunty, Carolyn, the donor, are recovering well.

The controversial former heroin addict has already had one liver transplant which failed after she returned to drugs. The WA government refused her family's request for a second liver, by controversially agreed to an interest-free $258,000 loan that permitted her and her family to travel to Singapore to undergo the live-liver operation.

The operation which involved transplanting a part of her aunt's healthy liver into Ms Murray's body, lasted for more than six hours at Singapore's My Elizabeth Hospital, under the care of the liver unit's head doctor, Dr Prema Raj.

It was initially thought that her mother would be suitable to donate part of her liver, but on Sunday, Channel Nine's Sixty Minutes, revealed that her aunt was the more suitable donor. Both Ms Murray and her aunt went into surgery earlier today.

Ms Murray received her first liver donation last year, which was caused by 12-year-period of heroin and amphetamine-addiction. The donor liver failed, leaving her only months to live, without another transplant. After the first transplant, she admitted returning to taking drugs.

The national protocols prevented Ms Murray from returning to the transplant waiting list, as they forbid persistent substance abusers from being eligible for donor organs.

Dr Kim Hanes, WA Health Minister, stands by the decision taken by doctors at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital's liver transplant unit, in refusing the second liver donation, saying it was the right decision.

Medicine