Transplant Halted: Archbishop Christodoulos Likely to Return to Greece

Miami, FL.- Miamiʼs Jackson Memorial Hospital doctors assisted by well a known oncologist are still examining the biopsy results to determine the exact cause of the metastasis that made impossible for Dr Andreas Tzakis to move forward with a liver transplant operation for Archbishop Christodoulos of Greece. According to medical sources in Miami, Archbishop Christodoulos will leave the hospital on Tuesday or Wednesday, possibly heading for Greece, to continue his treatment.

The final decision will be made when the doctors will be able to determine what the best treatment will be. The other possible option will be to start his treatment in New York and continue in Greece.

According to an associate of Archbishop Christodoulos, “he expressed the desire to return to Greece, but he is waiting to see what doctors will propose to him.”

Doctors in Miami halted liver transplant surgery for the head of Greece’s Orthodox Church, on Monday after his cancer was found to have spread.

The 68-year-old archbishop was diagnosed with cancer in June after intestinal surgery. He was having surgery at Miami’s Jackson Memorial Hospital Monday after waiting for 50 days for a compatible liver to become available.

The operation was overseen by renowned Greek transplant specialist Andreas Tzakis, director of the University of Miami’s organ transplant institute.

But during the operation, Tzakis discovered the cancer had spread, said Harris Konidaris, the archbishop’s spokesman.

Due to this, “the transplant was not possible,” Konidaris said, adding that the archbishop would remain in the hospital in Miami for several days and possibly weeks so doctors could determine a possible new method of treatment.

Dr Tzakis said he halted the transplant after finding tumors in the archbishop’s abdominal cavity. He said a transplant was not possible because the drugs transplant patients need to take to prevent organ rejection would have fueled the tumors’ growth.

Tzakis said lab analyses will show whether the metastasis was from the archbishop’s liver cancer or colon cancer. The tumors would be easier to treat if they came from the colon cancer, Tzakis said.

Liver cancer can spread to the bones, brain and lungs through blood, but a spread to the abdominal cavity is rare, he said. He said the archbishop’s condition is unusual because the tumors had not burst — another way cancer can spread.

“This is a very unusual complication. Personally, I was shocked by it,” Tzakis said at a news conference at Jackson Memorial Hospital, where the surgery took place.

Preliminarily results indicated that the liver cancer had spread, said Andreas Tzakis.

It appeared unlikely the archbishop would undergo a liver transplant in the future, oncologist Bach Ardalan added.

Dr. Tzakis defended the transplant option stressing that it was “the only proper and suitable choice” at the given moment, adding that “such decisions are not easy”.

Dr. Tzakis stated that the Archbishop will be presented with possible treatment options as soon as the lab tests are completed and biopsy results are ready while it will be his decision to either remain in the United States or return to Greece.

On Wednesday Archbishop Christodoulos was moved to a regular room at the Jackson Memorial while on Thursday he began eating solid food. According to his associates he is walking around the hospitals 15th floor and he is in good spirits.

“Pain brings you closer to God, it makes you more receptive to his grace,” he admitted after being discharged.

Christodoulos admitted that his illness had made him re-evaluate his feelings for people, in particular those with whom he had disagreements in the past.

“It is at times like these that man feels his life is very short and, at the same time, too important to waste on trivialities,” said the archbishop.

On Thursday Archbishop Christodoulos received a telephone call from Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos, while he was also visited in his room by Greece’s Ambassador to Washington Alexandros Mallias. His close associates and the Greek general consul in Tampa, Andreas Psycharis, are remaining by his side.

On Friday, Christodoulos received a call from Greek President Karolos Papoulias.

DEMETRIOS
Archbishop Demetrios of America, who arrived in Miami at 3 am on Monday was one of the first to learn that the transplant operation did not go through.

“He is calm and I can say that his post-operative condition is progressing satisfactorily,” Archbishop Demetrios said on Monday, adding that Christodoulos had been informed by his doctor about the events during the operation and had told him that no surgery was possible at this time.

Asked whether the course of treatment for the Archbishop would take place in an American hospital or in Greece, Archbishop Demetrios said that it was still too early to decide because doctors needed to get back the results of biopsies and have an overall picture of Christodoulos’ state of health, since they did not currently know whether the new tumours they found originated from the liver or the large intestine.

According to Demetrios, Doctor Andreas Tzakis who is treating Archbishop Christodoulos had been “shocked” at the overall picture presented by Christodoulos abdominal cavity.

“There is progress in the post-operative condition of the Archbishop’s health but we do not have progress in terms of fighting the cancer,” Archbishop Demetrios added.

Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta has also been visiting Christodoulos.

Meanwhile, the Holy Regional Synod of the Archdiocese of America expressed its “wholehearted support” for Archbishop Christodoulos during its opening session on Wednesday, according to a relevant announcement.

Spyridon, the former Archbishop of America, sent a letter to ailing Archbishop Christodoulos wishing him a speedy recovery, pointing out that the head of the Greek Orthodox Church is an example of a true fighter who gets his strength from the Christian faith.

Commenting on the succession scenarios in Athens, the former Archbishop of America stressed that Archbishop Christodoulos can fight his ailment while at the same time exercising his Church and administrative duties until he recovers. There are no terminal illnesses and often what seems impossible for the people is possible for God, he stressed.