UAE's first multi-organ transplant programme is launched

The country’s first multi-organ transplant programme was launched in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, informed The National.

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi announced it had performed successful heart, liver and lung transplant surgeries – all procedures that had never previously been performed in the UAE.

The UAE’s first full liver transplant was performed on February 1 by a five-person medical and surgical team led by Dr Antonio Pinna, Transplant Surgeon.

Ten days later, the country’s first deceased donor lung transplant was performed by Dr Redha Souilamas, Chief of Thoracic Surgery.

In December last year, surgeons at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi performed the UAE’s first full heart transplant, while a team from the hospital successfully conducted one of the UAE’s first kidney transplants from a deceased donor in September 2017.

Previously Emiratis were forced to travel for most transplants at significant cost.

The hospital is currently the UAE’s first and only multi-organ transplant facility, following a decree from President, Sheikh Khalifa, which took effect in March 2017 and allowed deceased donor transplants.