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Abu Dhabi: Burjeel Medical City successfully carries out first kidney transplant

Diseases involving the organ rank amongst the top 10 causes of mortality, say doctors

Burjeel Medical City has now started performing kidney transplantations, providing patients with an option to undergo the surgery in private hospitals in the UAE Capital.

The first such transplantation was successfully performed at the hospital, which is located in Mohamed Bin Zayed City, on a patient from Kazakhstan whose kidney donor was his family member.

Naser Al Riyami, Chief Operating Officer, Burjeel Medical City, said, “At Burjeel Medical City, our longstanding experience in healthcare has taught us valuable lessons in meeting the needs and requirements of people from around the world. We take our responsibility of providing patients with exceptional service and medical care seriously. We hope that such procedures will continue offering the best options to the community and attract more medical tourists to the UAE. In the future, we aim to set a benchmark in the area of kidney transplants.”

The patient had end-stage renal failure and was undergoing dialysis since March 2022. “The patient was physically fit and did not have other contraindications, making him eligible for the transplant.

The surgery was conducted after the patient and the donor underwent thorough evaluations and were deemed fit for the procedure,” said Dr. Rehan Saif, Director - Transplant Surgery, Consultant General Surgery, Burjeel Medical City.

Dr. Venkat Sainaresh Vellanki, Director - Transplant Nephrology, Consultant Nephrology, Burjeel Medical City, also said, “Very few institutions can offer 360-degree, 24x7 care for kidney patients with complex medical requirements under one roof. We have a multidisciplinary team backed by cutting-edge technology and a robust in-house diagnostic laboratory, as well as imaging services to facilitate the kidney transplantation service.

Burjeel Medical City, as a quaternary healthcare centre of excellence, can efficiently meet kidney patients’ diverse and personalised needs.”

The donor surgery, known as nephrectomy, was performed using the latest 3D laparoscopic technology; a minimally invasive method meant to improve donor safety. It took four hours, followed by the recipient surgery which was performed and completed in four hours as well.

According to the medical team, both patient and donor are recovering well.

Doctors say kidney diseases rank amongst the top 10 causes of mortality. Diabetes, hypertension, glomerulonephritis, drugs, environmental, and lifestyle-related illnesses are all the leading causes of kidney failure.

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