Ex-Simple Minds manager gives kidney donation to brother

• Bruce with brother Brian

The 66-year-old endured a six-hour operation to donate a kidney to Brian, 73, this week and both siblings are now on the road to recovery in the same high-dependency ward at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

The music impresario built up a successful chain of record shops with his elder brother in the 1970s but quit the business to concentrate on managing the then up-and-coming rock band Simple Minds. He went on to achieve spectacular success with the group from 1978 to 1990.

Speaking from his hospital bed, Bruce said it was odds-on that the transplant would be a success and that the pair were already bouncing back from their ordeal.

"I feel great, absolutely great," he said. "Success in these operations is very high at around 95 per cent. I don't think they would go to the effort with a couple of old codgers like us unless the chances of success were fairly high."

He added: "We have been joking and laughing in the ward but obviously there's an element of relief that everything seems to be OK because when you go under, you don't know if you will come out the other end, but (the operation] went very well and of course my brother went in after me. He's now up and about although he's maybe not as active as I am because he had a couple of hernias.

"I have been walking around the ward and the kidney is kicking in.

"Brian is taking anti-rejection medication. His blood count is good, the doctors said. It's remarkable how well it's worked."

Although it may take several weeks before doctors give Brian the all-clear, Bruce, who now manages Edinburgh-based band Aberfeldy, expects to be home by the weekend.

The father-of-five volunteered for Wednesday's transplant after his brother, who runs The Deacon House Cafe off the Royal Mile, was diagnosed with kidney failure two years ago.

"They said they would ultimately fail and he would have to get a donor so I offered," said Bruce, who underwent a slew of medical checks before he was deemed fit enough.

Asked why he elected to go under the knife, he said: "He's my brother. It's as simple as that.

"I would encourage others to do it. Obviously it's a big decision but it's worth it.

"Finding a match is hard but likely if they are from the same family. Brian was on the waiting list and if someone had died that was a perfect match they would have used that kidney instead of taking one from someone living.

"It's food for thought but there are people out there who are waiting for one."

Mr Findlay is posting progress updates via Twitter, and he has praised ERI staff for their care and expertise.