15/02/2026
Clinically dead for up to 40 minutes. That’s what it can take to save a life.
At Austin Hospital, our surgeons are performing a world-first operation for a rare and aggressive form of kidney cancer, where the tumour grows into the heart and blocks blood flow from the liver. Without surgery, patients can quickly go into heart or liver failure.
The life-saving procedure involves cooling the body and temporarily stopping circulation so the tumour can be safely removed from the heart. Austin Hospital is the only service in Australia - and we believe the world - performing this surgery.
One of those patients is Hock Yap, who was rushed into emergency surgery over Christmas after his liver began to fail. Today, he is back home and recovering.
“All the doctors and nurses at Austin are my heroes,” he said.
We’re incredibly proud of our teams who make the impossible possible for patients every day.
Read more about Hock’s story: bit.ly/4re3Y8A