Tree surgeon Duncan Wight, who suffers from polycystic kidney disease, underwent the three-hour procedure in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary after friend Sandra White donated her kidney to him.

The operation had been scheduled to take place last month but was called off at the 11th hour, due to a surgical emergency at the hospital.

So successful was the transplant that after just nine days, Duncan was discharged and is now at home in Drumoak. He has even managed to return to work - although not taking on any physical toil.

Physiotherapist Sandra, 46, met Duncan around six years ago, through her job with the Deeside Community Rehabilitation team, based in Torphins.

Duncan said: "What Sandra has done for me is indescribable and something I will never forget. I'm doing really well and got out of hospital on Saturday.

"I am quite excited but also a bit hesitant about the next few months. I just can't believe that it's all happening and I don't have to have dialysis.

"There's already a huge difference - even when I look in the mirror - I actually look younger and just a lot fresher and healthier."

He added: "The morning after surgery, I got up and had a shower and the nurse said 'I can't believe you had a major operation yesterday!' Being fit has definitely been a great asset."

Currently, Duncan still has to visit Aberdeen Royal Infirmary regularly to get blood tests and undergo a scan. He also has to drink 10 litres of water a day to prevent the kidney from becoming dehydrated.

"They take a scan when the kidney is fit and healthy and if anything goes wrong they take another to see where the problem area lies," said Duncan, 45.

"There is still time for rejection during the next three months - generally once you're passed that milestone, you should be ok. There's so much they can do even if goes into rejection - it's not all over if you do."

Following surgery, the pair had to remain in the high dependency unit for two nights, before being moved back to the transplant ward.
"The doctors and surgeons were absolutely fantastic," said Duncan. "I was struggling with the dialysis and it was depressing me, so this has made an enormous difference. I've always been an outdoor person, so just having to lie attached to a machine for five hours was my worst nightmare.

"I'm back at work already, although not physical work, just seeing jobs and speaking to the guys. The wound will be permanent and will get sore if I do too much, so as long as I'm not getting drained and tired, I'll be ok. Getting out into the fresh air is the main thing - I was climbing the walls in the hospital and getting irritable."

Duncan was diagnosed with the condition almost five years ago and began dialysis last summer, when his kidneys stopped functioning enough to keep him alive.

The disorder - which sees cysts growing on the kidneys, slowly damaging their function - is hereditary. Duncan's mother Claire went on dialysis in her early 40s before undergoing two transplants and passing away at 63.

He must take immuno-suppresant drugs for the rest of his life to prevent his body rejecting the organ.

Sandra, who was discharged three days after the operation, said: "It's a relief to have it out of the way and to be able to move forward and to see Duncan being able to do the same. Life can get back to normal.

"I'm recovering very well and it was all straightforward on the day. I never believed it would happen until I was going into theatre. I was quite sore for the first day or two, but it got easier day by day.

"The doctors and nurses were excellent and did the operation using keyhole surgery. I've got a few little scars and one kidney-sized scar! But there's much less scarring for me than for Duncan, who's got a dramatic scar and had staples!

"They say donation is the 'gift of life' and it's very rewarding to be able to do that for somebody."