KFSHRC Sets New Record with 500 Paired Kidney Transplants

In a step that solidifies its position as a leading healthcare institution regionally and internationally, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC) celebrated its success in performing 500 paired kidney transplants since the inception of its Kidney Paired Donation Program in 2011 in an unprecedented achievement in the Kingdom and the Middle East.
The success, unmatched by any other healthcare institution in the region, cements KFSHRC's reputation as a global leader in organ transplant and strengthens its pioneering role in providing innovative solutions for kidney failure patients.
Since the beginning of this year alone, the KFSHRC has successfully performed 100 paired kidney transplants, marking a significant achievement in innovative healthcare solutions and improving the patient's chances of receiving a compatible kidney. This is based on a precise mechanism that enables the exchange of kidneys between patients whose blood types or tissues are incompatible with their original donors. By facilitating donor exchanges between different patients, the program ensures higher compatibility rates, offering a solution for those who previously struggled to find suitable donors.
Women accounted for 62% of the Kidney Paired Donation Program beneficiaries, while men represented 38%. Additionally, 29 children benefited from the program, highlighting the diverse range of cases addressed by this innovative organ transplantation initiative.
As a Platinum Sponsor at the Global Health Exhibition in Riyadh, the KFSHRC is presenting visitors with insights into the Kidney Paired Donation Program and its impact on enhancing healthcare, along with a range of other health solutions and innovations.
This achievement has raised the total number of successful kidney transplants at KFSHRC to 5,000 since the inception of its Organ Transplant Program in 1981, positioning the hospital among a select group of elite healthcare centers worldwide that have reached this significant milestone in kidney transplantation. The KFSHRC has achieved one-year post-transplant patient survival rates of 97% to 99%, reflecting the effectiveness of the healthcare system at KFSHRC's Organ Transplant Center of Excellence and the hospital's commitment to its humanitarian mission to improve patients' lives.
Kidney transplantation at KFSHRC stands as a cornerstone of the hospital's expertise, having amassed extensive experience over the past four decades with consistent growth in both the number of transplants performed and patient survival rates. Last year alone, it performed 80 pediatric kidney transplants, the highest number conducted by any individual center in the United States and Europe. Since 2010, KFSHRC has completed 3,000 kidney transplants, including approximately 1,250 in the last three years.