Abu Dhabi hospital performs 60 kidney transplants in 18 months

More than half are transplants from living donors while five came from deceased donors

An Emirati woman donated her kidney to her brother in Dubai's first live transplant surgery. Getty

Doctors at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City have carried out 60 kidney transplant operations in 18 months.

More than half of these, 35, were transplants from living donors and five were from deceased donors.

Since the beginning of this year, 20 kidney transplant surgeries have been completed.

“The success rate of kidney transplant operations fare better to the success rate of kidney dialysis, which has historically led to complications and side effects for the heart,” said Dr Mohamed Al Seiari, consultant physician at SKMC.

“Most notably, the medical diagnostics of a kidney transplant increases a patient’s life expectancy around 10 to 12 years and improves the quality of their life overall.”

There are about 6,000 people living with primary organ failure in Abu Dhabi, about 4,000 them may need kidney transplants.

The remaining 2,000, if they hit end-of-stage organ failure, would have no option other than organs from deceased donors, SKMC's transplant co-ordinator said in December.