Latest news with #BurjeelAbdominalMulti-OrganTransplantProgram
Web Release
a day ago
- Health
- Web Release
Burjeel Medical City Performs UAE's Youngest Infant Liver Transplant
Burjeel Medical City (BMC), the flagship facility of Burjeel Holdings, has successfully performed the UAE's youngest infant liver transplant, saving the life of five-month-old Baby Ahmed Yahya, who was diagnosed with an ultra-rare genetic disorder. This milestone surgery was made possible through the living liver donation of his aunt and the expertise of a highly skilled multidisciplinary team. A Second Chance After Heartbreak For parents Yahya and Zainab Al Yassi, this year's World Organ Donation Day carries profound personal meaning. Baby Ahmed, their fifth child, is the couple's first surviving boy after the loss of another son, also named Ahmed in honor of his grandfather, to liver disease in 2010. When the newborn's liver enzyme levels rose shortly after birth, doctors diagnosed him with ATP6AP1-related congenital disorder of glycosylation, a genetic condition with fewer than 25 known cases worldwide. 'This disease is a severe, multisystem condition that particularly affects the liver. In Ahmed's case, the disorder was progressing rapidly toward liver failure. Given the rarity of the condition, there were no clear answers, only tough questions. Yet we had to act,' said Dr. Johns Shaji Mathew, Abdominal Transplant and Hepato-Pancreatico-Biliary Surgeon at BMC. Due to his critical condition, an urgent liver transplant became the only option. To avoid delays, the family sought a living donor. Ms. Haifaa, Ahmed's aunt and the wife of his father's brother, stepped forward and was found to be a perfect match. 'I still remember the pain when we lost our first son to liver disease. When we heard our second son had a similar problem, I thought this was our destiny. But the doctors at BMC gave us new hope. And my sister-in-law gave us life again,' said Yahya. 'I read everything I could find about organ donation. I realized that donating part of my liver could save his life, and I knew I had to do it. It is a bond that nothing in this world can break,' said Ahmed's aunt. A Complex Procedure The transplant took place on April 4, 2025. Led by Dr. Gourab Sen, Director – Transplant Surgery, Burjeel Abdominal Multi-Organ Transplant Program, and Dr. Johns Shaji Mathew, the surgical team prepared a mono-segment graft from the donor's liver to fit the infant's small abdominal cavity. Pediatric anesthesia was managed by Dr. Ramamurthy Baskaran, Division Chair of Anesthesia, along with Dr. George Jacob and Dr. Anshu S. Postoperative care was led by Dr. Kesava Ramakrishnan, Consultant, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, and his team. 'This was a precision operation that lasted 12 hours, including the donor and the recipient surgery. We used a mono-segment graft, a tiny part of the donor's liver, shaped exactly to fit the baby's anatomy. In an infant this small, every structure is delicate beyond imagination, each vessel was thinner than a matchstick, and the margin for error was virtually zero,' said Dr. Gourab. Following the operation, Ahmed was extubated soon, began feeding within days, and showed excellent liver function. Pediatric intensivists, gastroenterologists, dietitians, radiologists, and rehabilitation specialists supported his recovery. He will continue to receive specialized nutritional support, immune monitoring, and family counseling under BMC's long-term care program. 'My baby's recovery is nothing short of a miracle. We were once a family living in fear of losing another child, but today, we are celebrating a second chance at life. I hope our story inspires others to come forward, to learn more, and to consider becoming donors. You never know whose life you might change,' said Yahya. The HAYAT National Program invites the public to learn more about related living organ donation, where a healthy person donates to a family member in need. This life-saving act can shorten waiting times and transform lives. Speak with your healthcare provider and discover how you can give the gift of life. For more information on how to register as an organ donor, visit: Hayat Organ Donation Program | Ministry of Health and Prevention… (
Indian Express
a day ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Indian doctors in UAE save life of 5-month-old boy born with extremely rare liver disease
A team of doctors in the United Arab Emirates has successfully transplanted a liver on a 5-month-old infant boy who was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition that had claimed the life of one of his siblings. Baby Ahmed Yahya underwent a successful liver transplant recently at the Burjeel Medical City in Abu Dhabi, making him the youngest organ recipient in the UAE. Burjeel Medical City shared the heart-warming story on the occasion of World Organ Donation Day, revealing how the infant's aunt's selfless act saved his life. Just a few months ago, Yahya and Zainab Al Yassi were over the moon to welcome their newborn son, whom they named Ahmed Yahya, which was also the name of their firstborn son, who died in 2010 from liver disease. But the short-lived joy turned into anguish after Baby Ahmed was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition affecting his liver and other vital systems. He was diagnosed with ATP6AP1-related congenital disorder of glycosylation, which resulted in the infant's liver enzyme levels rising shortly after birth. According to doctors at BMC, Baby Ahmed suffered from an ultra-rare genetic disorder with fewer than 25 known cases worldwide. 'This disease is a severe, multisystem condition that particularly affects the liver. In Ahmed's case, the disorder was progressing rapidly toward liver failure. Given the rarity of the condition, there were no clear answers, only tough questions. Yet we had to act,' Dr Johns Shaji Mathew, Abdominal Transplant and Hepato – Pancreatico – Biliary Surgeon at BMC said. 'I still remember the pain when we lost our first son to liver disease. When we heard our second son had a similar problem, I thought this was our destiny. But the doctors at BMC gave us new hope,' Yahya, Ahmed's father, recalled. An urgent liver transplant was the only option to save the infant's life and Ahmed's aunt volunteered to be the donor. 'I realised that donating part of my liver could save his life, and I knew I had to do it. It's a bond that nothing in this world can break,' she said. In April, a team of doctors led by Dr Gourab Sen, Director – Transplant Surgery, Burjeel Abdominal Multi-Organ Transplant Program and Dr Johns Shaji Mathew performed the complex organ transplant surgery, which took over 12 hours to complete. 'We used a mono-segment graft, which is a tiny part of the donor's liver, and shaped it exactly to fit the baby's anatomy. In an infant this tiny, every structure is delicate beyond imagination, each vessel was thinner than a matchstick, and the margin for error was virtually zero. The surgery required not only technical expertise but constant focus, as we were working in millimeters, sometimes even fractions of a millimeter,' Dr Gourab explained. Despite the high-risk nature of the operation and the child's fragile condition, the surgery was a success, and according to the doctors, Baby Ahmed's liver function continues to improve, and his neurodevelopmental milestones are being closely monitored.
Al Etihad
2 days ago
- Health
- Al Etihad
Youngest Emirati baby undergoes liver transplant in Abu Dhabi
13 Aug 2025 08:28 A. SREENIVASA REDDY (ABU DHABI)An Abu Dhabi hospital has set a national record by performing a liver transplant on the youngest Emirati Ahmed Yahya, Yahya and Zainab Al Yassi's fifth child and first surviving son, was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition affecting his liver and other vital systems. Doctors at Burjeel Medical City (BMC) linked the case to an ATP6AP1-related congenital disorder of glycosylation, an ultra-rare genetic disorder with fewer than 25 known cases worldwide. 'This disease is a severe, multisystem condition that particularly affects the liver. In Ahmed's case, the disorder was progressing rapidly toward liver failure,' said Dr Johns Shaji Mathew, Abdominal Transplant and Hepato-Pancreatico-Biliary Surgeon at the baby's condition critical, the family sought a living donor to avoid delay. Hope came from within the family when the wife of his father's brother volunteered and, remarkably, proved a perfect match. The donor is not biologically related to the child. As Dr Mathew told Aletihad: 'Liver transplantation can be performed from a living donor who is not biologically related to the recipient, provided there is blood group compatibility.'The transplant, described as one of the most technically challenging paediatric surgeries conducted in the region, was carried out at BMC on April 4, 2025 and led by Dr Gourab Sen, Director – Transplant Surgery, Burjeel Abdominal Multi-Organ Transplant Program, and Dr Mathew. The team prepared a mono-segment graft to fit the infant's tiny abdominal cavity. Paediatric anaesthesia was managed by Dr Ramamurthy Baskaran, Division Chair of Anaesthesia, with Dr George Jacob and Dr Anshu S, while perioperative care in the PICU was overseen by Dr Kesava Ramakrishnan, Consultant, Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, and his team.'This was a precision operation that lasted 12 hours, including the donor and the recipient surgery. In an infant this tiny, every structure is delicate beyond imagination, each vessel was thinner than a matchstick, and the margin for error was virtually zero. The surgery required not only technical expertise but constant focus, as we were working in millimetres, sometimes even fractions of a millimetre,' said Dr. the graft to Aletihad, Dr. Mathew said: 'A small portion of the donor's left lateral segment — about 15% of the total liver volume — was used, which was appropriate because Ahmed was a small baby, weighing only 4.4 kg. He contrasted this with typical adult-to-adult procedures: 'In adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation, the right lobe is usually used, comprising about 60–70% of the donor's liver. This is feasible because healthy individuals with good liver quality can maintain normal function with a remnant liver volume of at least 30–35%.'Despite the high-risk nature of the operation and the child's fragile condition, the surgery was a success. Ahmed was extubated soon after surgery, began feeding within days and has shown excellent liver function, according to clinicians involved in his care. He remains under close follow-up for growth, neurodevelopment and immune monitoring. The hospital said the successful transplant underscores the role of living donation and highly specialised paediatric transplant capability in the UAE, while the focus remains firmly on the child's recovery and long-term donor's recovery has also been positive. 'The donor is currently doing well. Such operations are possible because the liver has a unique ability to regenerate — not necessarily to its original anatomical shape, but to the functional volume the body requires. This regeneration occurs over weeks to months,' Dr. Mathew said. On likely recovery timelines, Dr. Mathew added: 'Although it is a major surgery with potential short- and long-term implications for the donor's quality of life, most donors return to normal daily activities within 1–3 months, assuming an uncomplicated recovery.' As World Organ Donation Day is observed on August 13 every year, Ahmed Yahya's survival from an ultra-rare genetic disorder underlines the life-saving impact of living organ donation.
