Jonah Lomu may undergo kidney transplant surgery before the end of the year if a suitable donor can be found and a return to rugby can't be ruled out, New Zealand Rugby Union doctor John Mayhew said Monday.
Mayhew said strenuous efforts were being made to find a suitable donor, to avoid a standard wait of up to three years for the lifesaving operation.
The All Blacks winger began dialysis Saturday after suffering a severe deterioration in the condition of his kidneys, brought about by the rare nephrotic syndrome he has battled since 1996.
As Lomu underwent dialysis Saturday as an outpatient at Auckland Hospital, debate raged within New Zealand over his rugby future.
The player, regarded as the most famous face in rugby, remained adamant he would conquer his illness and play for the All Blacks again.
Mayhew, who has been more equivocal over the winger's future, refused to rule out that possibility.
"Whether he gets selected is up to the All Black selectors," he said. "We'll get Jonah right, get him a kidney and then see what happens. It's feasible, I'm not saying it's probable."
Auckland renal expert Krishnan Madhan said the lives of patients who had undergone kidney transplants were ``fairly normal in many respects.'' There had been recorded cases in which sportspeople resumed careers after kidney surgery, he said.
But other medical experts said such a return was unlikely.
Transplanted kidneys are often placed at the front of the abdomen and, as such, would be vulnerable to injury. Transplant patients were generally discouraged from playing contact sport.
Lomu, who said he was feeling ``good and strong'' after dialysis, remained clear in his aim to return to rugby.
"My dream has always been to wear that All Black shirt," he said in a statement on his web site jonahlomu.com.
"My dream hasn't changed. I'm doing everything I can to fight back into top form and with your help I can do it."
More than 400 New Zealanders are on kidney waiting lists and, unless a specific donor can be found, Lomu might have to wait years for surgery. Mayhew said a "directed donation" of a suitable organ by a fan, friend or family member could cut that wait to six months.
Relatives of a kidney sufferer made the best candidates for organ donation, Mayhew said, because their blood and tissue types were often compatible with the patient's.
"There is no one lined up so to speak," Mayhew said. "It may well be this year if things go according to plan."
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