Abu Dhabi hospital successfully completes complex kidney transplant

In a groundbreaking achievement, a team of transplant nephrologists at Burjeel Medical City in Abu Dhabi has successfully completed a complex ABO incompatible kidney transplant.

This procedure, wherein the blood types of the donor and recipient do not align, challenges conventional norms in organ transplantation, where compatibility is typically a prerequisite to prevent rejection.

The 32-year-old patient had suffered from kidney failure since 2018, and her symptoms developed until last year she reached a late stage of the disease, when she began to undergo continuous dialysis, and at a critical juncture it required a kidney transplant.

Dr Ishthiaque Ahamed, Specialist Nephrologist & Transplant Physician at Burjeel Medical City, confirmed the complexity of the condition, highlighting the development of medical research over the past 25 years that has made transplanting organs that are not completely identical between the recipient and the donor possible and safe, with a correspondingly high survival rate for other cases of identical organ transplants.

He said, “In an ABO incompatible kidney transplant, the patient undergoes medical treatment before and after the kidney transplant to decrease antibody levels in the blood, thereby mitigating the risk of antibodies rejecting the donor kidney."

The patient (C) with her husband and doctors after the surgery. WAM

"In this case, the titers are on the lower side, favoring a positive outcome. Additionally, plasmapheresis was performed to eliminate pre-existing antibodies, and the formation of new antibodies was suppressed through special injections before the transplant. Given the urgency, we decided to go ahead with the incompatible kidney transplant after explaining the pros and cons to the family. Since the patient was also very keen to go ahead with the transplant, we went ahead,” Dr Ishthiaque said.

According to the doctors, the patient will undergo regular follow-ups, initially scheduled twice a week, and this frequency will be adjusted to monthly visits after six months. Ongoing monitoring includes dietary adjustments, lifestyle modifications, and routine lab tests.

WAM