Riyadh: King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC) has successfully performed 5,000 kidney transplants since the inception of its Transplant Program in 1981, placing it among a select group of leading global health centers that have achieved this milestone, a press release from KFSHRC said.
KFSHRC performed 80 pediatric kidney transplants last year alone, “the highest number conducted by any hospital in a single year,” the release said. This achievement makes KFSHRC’s Kidney Transplant Program the largest of its kind, surpassing health centers in the United States and Europe.
The program has experienced significant growth over the past decade, with over 3,000 transplants performed since 2010 and around 1,250 transplants in the last three years alone.
According to the release, establishing the Kidney Paired Donation (KPD) program has revolutionized the transplantation landscape by addressing the challenge of compatibility between patients and their donors. This program has helped patients
who would otherwise face considerable obstacles in finding suitable matches. By facilitating the exchange of donors whose blood types or tissues do not match the intended recipient, KFSHRC has become “a leader in paired donation transplants compared to any single health center in the United States and Europe.”
Furthermore, by adopting advanced technologies, the center now relies entirely on minimally invasive surgery including removing kidneys from donors with robotic assistance. The surgeons are also able to transplant kidneys in a selected group of patients through robotic surgery. This minimally invasive procedure enhances precision and safety.
“The kidney and patient survival rates at one year are between 97% to 99%,” the release said, adding that this achievement underlines establishing a stellar transplant center within the organization. Beyond routine kidney transplants, this center specializes in complex cases involving different blood groups, low-weight pediatric patients, paired exchanges, and pat
ients with elevated body mass index.
“KFSHRC has retained its status as the leading institution in the Middle East and Africa for the second year running and ranks 20th globally among the top 250 academic medical centers worldwide. It is also recognized as the most valuable healthcare brand in the Kingdom and the Middle East in 2024, according to Brand Finance. Additionally, Newsweek Magazine has ranked it among the top 250 hospitals globally,” the release read.
Source: Saudi Press Agency