Abu Dhabi: A 73-year-old Emirati woman this month has undergone a successful kidney transplant at the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi (CCAD), it was announced on Monday.
The kidney was donated by her son.
The surgery of Moza Al Mansouri was the first kidney transplant performed at the hospital, which aims to offer full transplant facilities in the near future.
The hospital said Al Mansouri suffered from diabetes and hypertension, and needed a transplant in order to avoid regular dialysis.
She was offered an opportunity to travel abroad for the transplant, but she and her family opted to pursue treatment in the UAE.
“We decided to stay in the country and do the surgery at CCAD because I trust that our medical staff and our services are among the best in the world,” said Sultan Al Tamimi, Al Mansouri’s son and kidney donor.
Al Mansouri has already been discharged from the hospital.
“My mother’s condition continues to improve. She visits the clinic regularly for medical checks and the results are so far so good. Our entire family is very happy to see her improvement,” he added.
Asked why he agreed to donate his kidney to his mother, Al Tamimi said the act seemed fitting during the UAE’s Year of Giving.
“Giving her one of my kidneys is something small compared to all she has given to our family throughout her life,” he said.
According to official statistics, more than 2,000 patients in the UAE currently undergo regular dialysis treatment for kidney diseases. Experts at the CCAD said that patients who choose to have transplant surgery before reaching the dialysis stage typically enjoy better medical outcomes and survival rates.
The CCAD is part of a growing network of medical facilities in the emirate of Abu Dhabi by Abu Dhabi Government-owned investment and development company Mubadala. It aims to open up a full-fledged transplant centre by next year.
Till date, organ transplants in Abu Dhabi Emirate have been carried out by public health care facilities like the Shaikh Khalifa Medical City.
