HMC successfully performs kidney transplant surgery on married Indian couple

HMC Qatar

Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has successfully performed a kidney transplant surgery on an Indian man, who received a kidney from his wife.

The transplant surgery was performed following extensive medical evaluation and testing to ensure that the wife could donate her kidney to her husband.

The 50-year-old husband, Mr. Faisal Kofomal, was suffering from kidney failure and had previously undergone a kidney transplant surgery outside Qatar in 2017, but he suffered complications that exacerbated his health condition.

Dr. Yousuf Al Maslamani, Medical Director of HMC’s Hamad General Hospital (HGH) and Director of the Qatar Center for Organ Transplantation, said that the success of this surgery was the result of considerable efforts of a multi-disciplinary medical team and the continued development and advancement of the healthcare sector in the country through the introduction of the latest surgical technologies.

“In 2022, we performed 41 kidney transplants with a success rate of 100%, including 25 kidney transplants from living donors and 16 kidney transplants from deceased donors.

We aim to perform 50 kidney transplants this year with an average of one transplant surgery every week,” he said.

Dr. Al Maslamani said the team performed 24 kidney transplants so far this year, all of which were successful without any complications.

Out of the 24 kidney transplants, 15 were from living donors, including 6 kidneys obtained from Qatari donors, and 9 kidney transplants from deceased donors, including three Qatari donors.

“Recently, we have started to use new medications for the first time in Qatar that help reduce antibody production in transplant recipients in order to better prepare them for kidney transplantation and reduce waiting times for organ transplant surgeries,” Dr. Al Maslamani said. “These medications also help increase eligibility of patients with organ failure for organ transplantation. The number of kidney transplants performed each year at HMC depends on the availability of donors who meet all donation criteria and the number of cases where we have a donor-recipient match. All transplant patients undergo routine checks before surgery to ensure all donation criteria are met and protect the health of the donor.”

Dr. Al Maslamani explained that Qatar Center for Organ Transplantation is among the best in the world in this field.

“Organ transplantation is a very specialized surgical procedure and requires the expertise of many professionals and modern technologies and capabilities, including laparoscopic surgery to remove the donor’s kidney,” he said.

Al Maslamani urged members of the community to be cautious while performing kidney transplantation abroad to avoid any complications.

 “At HMC, all kidney transplants under the most stringent conditions and preparations to meet the donation conditions and to ensure no post-surgery complications are caused to the patient. We need to enhance the culture of organ donation to save the lives of many patients who suffer from chronic failure in their body organs and allow them to enjoy a normal life.”

Mr. Faisal Kofomal and his wife were thankful to Qatar and HMC for the medical care they received at HMC.

 “I feel I am in good health and have not experienced any complications after the surgery that I had last June. I would like to thank all the doctors who followed up my condition from screening until I had my surgery which returned hope to me to stay with my family and eliminate the kidney failure effects I suffered from for the last 15 years,” he said.

Samira, his wife expressed her gratitude after the surgery was successful to finally allow her husband to end his suffering and live a normal life.

“I wanted to donate my kidney to my husband so that he can continue his life normally after suffering from a kidney failure. The decision was not easy but when felt the medical care and the advanced capabilities at HMC while doing the regular checkup, I felt courage and believed that I will be alright. I thank God for having a successful surgery and I also thank everyone who helped us to have this wish possible,” she said.

The organ transplant programs in Qatar include kidney, liver, and lungs transplants provided by specialized surgeons at HMC using advanced technology and medical facilities to ensure a high level care for patients in need of organ transplant from living donors or relatives who pledge to donate their organs after death to be used in transplant procedures. One donor can help to save the life of eight patients.