Singer Tank Lu undergoes 12-hour heart and liver transplant
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Tank Lu slowed down his pace of work in 2007 due to a hereditary heart disease and then faded out of the entertainment industry for nearly 10 years.
PHOTO: TANK LU/WEIBO
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Taiwanese singer-songwriter Tank Lu has revealed the reason for his recent public disappearance, disclosing that he had undergone a 12-hour heart and liver transplant in November 2024 and was discharged from hospital on April 7.
On the same day, the 43-year-old appeared at a press conference with his doctors to talk about his recovery and also recounted his rollercoaster health journey on Chinese social media platform Weibo.
He wrote: “The operation lasted for 12 hours and brought me back from the brink of death. The hourglass of my life was turned upside down, and I was reborn.”
Lu said he experienced a painful recovery period after the operations, but he overcame the difficulties despite the odds.
“I have finally survived the most difficult stage, and I walked out of the hospital today.”
Debuting in 2005, he is known for songs such as Personal Angel (2006) and If I Become A Memory (2009).
Lu slowed down his pace of work in 2007 due to a hereditary heart disease and faded out of the entertainment industry for nearly 10 years.
He said he signed a contract with a new agency in May 2022 and moved to Hangzhou, China, to revive his career.
“For two years, I wrote new songs, released a new album, took part in variety shows and even went on tour. Everything seemed to be on track,” he wrote.
“But just like the previous time, my condition took a turn for the worse in late March 2024, even affecting my daily life. I was admitted to The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine for treatment.”
The doctors told Lu that only a simultaneous heart and liver transplant would be able to completely resolve his illness.
“I knew that not only would I need compatible organs, but the surgery would also be very complex,” Lu said.
The performer said that in order not to leave behind any regrets, he worked day and night for six days to write 10 songs for his latest album, which was released on July 30, 2024.
He also went ahead with a show in Kuala Lumpur, and held a concert tour in Kaohsiung and Taipei in Taiwan.
“My health began to worsen at an unexpected rate after the tour ended, with my heart failing first before my liver deteriorated,” he wrote.
“I developed a fever, and chest and abdominal fluid infections in August. I was unable to stand by September, and by early November, I couldn’t eat anything,” he wrote. “My heart and liver function indicators were extremely abnormal, and I had problems with blood-clotting.”
He said that on Nov 21, the organs of a brain-dead patient were available for donation. The hospital swiftly assembled the various professional teams and proceeded with the surgery for Lu.
