Picture used for illustrative purpose only.

Sheikh khalifa Medical City (SKMC) and SEHA Kidney Care, part of Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), have performed 52 pediatric kidney transplants, with one of the most recent cases being a successful procedure to treat a five-year-old boy suffering from end stage renal disease.

The operation marked a major milestone in the number of pediatric kidney transplants carried out by SEHA’s Kidney Transplant Programme since its inception in 2010.

The patient, Salem Al Falahi, was born with a congenital bladder problem that meant his kidneys failed early in his life. The Emirati youngster had been receiving dialysis treatment (both peritoneal dialysis and haemodialysis), since he was just two months old.

After undergoing numerous surgeries, suffering infections and enduring emergency hospitalizations, Salem’s family received the long-awaited call that a matching kidney had been found from a deceased donor. The operation was carried out successfully on 24th December last year.

Salem’s mother said, "I cannot be more grateful for this gift from God. When he was born, I was told that my baby had only a few months to live but I believe in miracles. My little child has been given a new lease of life. He has the opportunity to grow up and live a normal happy and healthy life."

Speaking about the operation, Dr. Muhammad Zaman, Transplant Surgeon at SKMC, said, "We work closely with all of our patients and families after procedures like this to ensure they receive all the support they need to help the child with normal growth and development, in addition to helping them manage a smooth transition into adulthood so they have the best chance in life."

Dr. Safa Al Mustafa, Acting CEO at SKMC, added, "The success of kidney transplantation in children with end stage renal disease now results in 10-year patient survival of 90-95%, in addition to multiple benefits to quality of life, which further shows that transplant is often the preferred treatment option compared to staying on dialysis. To date, SEHA’s Transplant Programme has performed almost 393 transplants in total since its inception."

WAM