TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Former Taiwan People’s Party Chair Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) left Taipei Detention Center for surgery at Taipei Hospital at 7 a.m. on Monday, per CNA.
Ko had kidney stones that caused water to accumulate in his left kidney. After about an hour of surgery the kidney stones were removed and he was transferred to a recovery room.
Before the surgery, Ko had blood in his urine and was vomiting. Ko's wife, Chen Pei-chi (陳佩琪), said Ko had a morphine-based painkiller, Tramadol, due to lower back pain, taking eight pills a day, which is the maximum recommended daily dose, per UDN.
Ko’s wife said she realized Ko was in poor health when she visited on March 2, as he complained of constant back pain. She said a thorough health check should have identified the cause of the back pain as being related to the kidneys and urinary tract.
Taipei Hospital said Ko Wen-je underwent extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy to break up kidney stones on March 25, with four Tramadol painkillers prescribed per day, and instructions to take them only when in pain. The medicine was kept by Taipei Detention Center staff.
