A man whose brother died after donating part of his liver to him was being considered for a cadaver liver only as a precaution, authorities say.
Chad Arnold, 38, of Castle Rock was considered for a second transplant after there were some concerns, but a change in medication has apparently resolved the problems, Erika Matich, spokeswoman for the University of Colorado Hospital, wrote in an e-mail.
“He is focused on his recovery and, contrary to a recent media report, there is no immediate concern about his health,” Matich wrote in an e-mail to the newspaper.
Chad Arnold’s brother Ryan died on Aug. 2, four days after the liver transplant that saved Chad Arnold’s life.
Ryan Arnold, a 34-year-old Watertown, S.D., orthodontist, had a wife and three boys, ages 1, 4, and 6.
Live donor deaths are very rare. Ryan Arnold’s death was only the fourth out of 4,126 such transplants nationwide since 1998.
Chad Arnold began suffering from an incurable liver disease called primary sclerosing cholangitis 13 years ago. He had jaundice, tired easily and itched.
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com
