Hamad medical corporation performs third successful spousal kidney transplant

A team of surgeons from Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) have successfully completed Qatar’s third spousal kidney transplant.

The patient, 42 year old Nepali national Dilip Kumar, was brought to the Emergency Department at Hamad General Hospital due to kidney disease in 2012 and has been on dialysis since.

His wife, Maya, agreed to become his donor and was deemed fit for surgery after thorough investigations in both Nepal and Doha.

One of the attending physicians, Dr. Omar Fituri, Senior Consultant Transplant Nephrologist at Hamad General Hospital, said donations from spouses and other family members are the safest transplants for both the donor and recipient.

“Patients who are on the waiting list should avoid going abroad for a commercial transplant as not only is the donor unknown but the center of transplant also needs to be of the highest standards,” he said.

“One of the most important factors during an organ transplant surgery is the patient’s ability to cooperate mentally, physically and emotionally with the transplant team. Dilip was a good patient and attended all his appointments and tests on time. Both Maya and Dilip were very cooperative with the team which helped make this surgery a success,” he added.

Dr. Riadh Fadhil, Director of the Qatar Organ Donation Centre (Hiba) said that donation between spouses is known as an “emotionally related donation” and is different from blood-related donation.

“In such cases, although tissue match is partial, the advancement of medicine and facilities has enabled us to do safe transplants of this kind,” he said. “Until now, all spouses who have undergone transplant surgery in Doha are in good health and back to work.”

“We encourage all our patients on the waiting list for kidney transplantation to look for donors among their relatives, as this is not only safe but is also faster than waiting for a deceased donation. We have an excellent transplant record with zero mortality rate and excellent transplant outcome in contrast to patients who get their transplant abroad and have returned with serious complications.”