Where and when were you born?
I was born in Yangon in 1944.

Where were you educated?
I matriculated from St. Paul School’s (now No.6 Basic Education High School Botahtaung). I graduated with Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degrees from the Institute of Medicine (1) in 1966. I was admitted as a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in both London and Edinburgh in 1971.

Why did you decide to become a surgeon?
Actually I wanted to become a physician. But because of changed circumstances in my third MB year I decided to become a surgeon. I had two exemplary teachers in surgery, U Kee Paw, a pioneer of modern surgery in Myanmar, and Dr Tin Maung Htwe, the country’s first officially-appointed thoracic surgeon.

What do you most enjoy about your job?
There’s nothing I enjoy more than spending most of my time at hospital performing operations and teaching surgery to students and nurses at all levels.

What is the most challenging aspect of your job?
A surgeon’s life is full of challenges, many of them unexpected. I have encountered challenges that I did not expect performing operations with which I am quite familiar.

How do you feel about leading the surgical team that performed Myanmar’s first successful liver transplant in August?
I’ve specialised in chest operations so I didn’t expect to head the surgery team assembled for the liver transplant. Although I had an idea about how the operation would be performed, I thought I would provide assistance as a member of the supporting team. Another reason why I didn’t expect to lead the team is because I’m due to retire next year. But I’m a person who enjoys a challenge so I was happy to lead the team. It was satisfying for me to be involved in an operation that created medical history in Myanmar before my retirement.

What preparations were made for the liver transplant?
Planning began in 2002. A committee was formed the following year to make arrangements for a transplant, which was made possible under an organ transplant law enacted last March. The committee included neurologists and other specialists from New Yangon General Hospital and Yangon General Hospital. The training included overseas training for the team. I underwent four months training in Hong Kong.

What effect did the transplant have on the medical community?
It has paved the way for Myanmar surgeons to perform living donor liver transplants. Even if surgeons of my generation don’t perform another transplant, we have shown the way for future generations. The operation will be an inspiration for them. There have been great advances in surgery in Myanmar in the last five years. It is very satisfying for me.

How many surgeons are there at New Yangon General Hospital?
We have 10 surgeons in the surgery department.

How many operations are performed each year by the department?
Including all operations, about 400 to 450 a year.

How many operations have you performed?
I’ve lost count. I’ve been a surgeon for more than 37 years. I used to perform about 300 major operations a year when I was a consulting surgeon in the states and divisions. The demands of my current positions, which include the head of teaching at the Department of Surgery at the Institute of Medicine (1), mean that I perform no more than half the operations of my younger days.

What was the most difficult operation you have performed?
Not surprisingly, it was the liver transplant.

What is your hobby?
Reading. I have a collection of books about a wide range of subjects.

How do you like to relax?
I love to sing. When I was young, I used to play the piano. I also enjoy playing the guitar. I appreciate all sorts of music. Despite my age I even like hip hop.

What is your motto for life?
I don’t know whether it can be considered a motto, but I draw inspiration from the words of George Bernard Shaw: ‘Some people look at things that are and ask why? I dream of things that never were and ask why not?’