World's best: Riyadh hospital completes 10 kidney transplants in 48 hours
The achievement coincided with World Organ Donation Day, which falls on Aug. 13 and aims to raise awareness of the importance of organ donation.
Dr. Ehab Abufarhaneh, deputy executive director of the hospital's Organ Transplant Center of Excellence, told Arab News: 'KFSHRC performed the kidney exchange transplants over two consecutive days setting a global record. This happened with a great team led by Dr. Khaled Almashary and Dr.Tariq Ali of the department of kidney and pancreas transplant.
'This initiative opens a door for many patients who have no suitable donor.'
The KFSHRC said the record was for the highest number of such procedures conducted within a two-day span at a single center.
'This milestone reinforces the hospital's position as a global leader in organ transplantation. It also reflects its high clinical readiness, the seamless coordination of its multidisciplinary medical teams and the advanced systems for managing donor-recipient matching, alongside its extensive experience in executing complex transplant procedures,' it said.
Paired kidney transplantation is an innovative approach where two or more incompatible donor-recipient pairs swap kidneys to achieve compatible transplants. The process significantly improves compatibility rates and offers hope to patients who face challenges in finding a suitable match within their families.
Last year, the KFSHRC celebrated another milestone with the completion of its 500th transplant since the program was launched in 2011. Since the creation of its organ transplantation program in 1981, it has successfully performed more then 5,000 kidney transplants, placing it among an elite group of global transplant centers.
Last year it conducted 80 pediatric kidney transplants, more than any other facility in the world for the period.
By leveraging its skilled workforce, advanced technologies and the integration of research and clinical programs, the KFSHRC aims to deliver world-class treatment while enhancing the Kingdom's position as a leader in organ transplantation.
In 2023 and 2024 it ranked first in the Middle East and North Africa region and 15th globally on the list of the world's top 250 academic medical centers and was last year recognized as the most valuable healthcare brand in the Kingdom and the Middle East by Brand Finance rankings.
It also ranked among the world's 250 best hospitals in 2024 and was included in Newsweek magazine's list of best smart hospitals for 2025.
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