Triple swap kidney transplant saves 3 lives

Two hospitals collaborate to match unrelated donors and recipients

Three patients have received life-saving organ transplants in a triple swap kidney transplant in Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi’s multi-organ transplant Centre, the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, played a major role in the groundbreaking swap, carried out under the Abu Dhabi Paired Kidney Donation Programme. The programme works with leading hospitals in the region to match transplant recipients with compatible donors.

This recent successful collaboration between the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and another local hospital to complete three simultaneous transplants further reinforces the UAE’s vision, and establishes the country as a preferred health care destination in the region for patients seeking a compatible donor, as well as an opportunity to combat kidney failure, the hospital said in a statement.

Paired programme

Dr Bashir Sankari, chair of the hospital’s Urology, Surgical Subspecialties Institute explained the process of matching donors and recipients in a paired donation programme.

“When a patient requires a transplant, a possible donor may agree to donate their organ, but sometimes tests reveal that the kidney is not a medical match. For example, a brother may want to donate one of his kidneys to his ailing sister but is found to be incompatible due to factors such as blood group or genetic differences, or due to the presence of antibodies. Separately, a husband may want to donate a kidney to his wife but is not able to due to a similar situation. In such situations, a solution could be to test whether these unrelated individuals are a match for each other. By doing so, each pair can receive a compatible kidney and undergo a successful transplantation,” Dr Sankari said.

“We are proud that we were able to partner in this milestone procedure between three groups of unrelated individuals that saved three lives,” he added.