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Sheikh Khalifa Medical
City performs milestone
kidney transplant on
five-year-old patient
(Abu Dhabi, UAE) -
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 Program 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 hemodialysis),
since he was just two months
old. Kidney failure is
extremely serious and has a
negative impact on a child's
growth and development. The
kidneys act as filters, so
when they stop functioning,
too much waste is built up
in the body and this can
cause a problem with brain
development and function,
sometimes leading to
learning disabilities.
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: “Kidney
transplantation is
considered the best
treatment option for adults,
as well as children, who
have kidney failure. By
having a kidney transplant,
it means the child is free
from having to undergo
dialysis which is an
extremely time-consuming
treatment. We are delighted
to see this child in better
health. We always follow our
patients closely, and a
successful transplant is
only half of the journey;
the other half is to avoid
rejection of the new organ.
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:
“Conducting 52 pediatric
kidney transplants is a
significant milestone and a
positive step forward that
demonstrates our commitment
to delivering the best
transplant services to our
patients. 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. Through our
world-class services at
SKMC, we continue to elevate
pediatric services in Abu
Dhabi in line with
international benchmarks, as
well as strive to increase
access to these life-saving
treatments in the UAE. To
date, SEHA’s Transplant
Program has performed almost
393 transplants in total
since its inception.”
Related Link:
Abu Dhabi Health Services
Company (SEHA)
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