29 years is also enough time to make up one's mind about whether one wants to continue living the same way. It was THEIR decision. From what I read on this, they had to convince the doctors to take the risk - NOT the other way around.

The operation wouldn't have been done in the west, not out of fear of harming the patients so much as the ensuing law suit. We have a tendency to decide what's right for everybody and not let them choose for themselves.

They knew what their lives were like. They weighed the risks: separate lives vs death. They decided, not other people who thought they knew better and were more right. THEY decided.