UAE resident receives life-saving liver transplant from donor in Kuwait
A UAE resident has received a life-saving liver transplant after a GCC-wide organ donation alert identified a compatible donor in Kuwait.
The 43-year-old Indonesian expatriate, identified only as Nur, had been living in the UAE for 14 years when she suddenly developed acute liver injury, which rapidly progressed to acute fulminant liver failure.
With no local donors available, medical authorities issued an urgent appeal across the GCC.
Critical 48-Hour window for transplant
Dr. Rehan Saif, director for Burjeel City’s Abdominal Multi-Organ Transplant Program, explained the urgency of the situation in a press statement.
“She was brought in with acute liver injury due to seronegative hepatitis, which soon developed into acute fulminant liver failure,” he said. “Managing such a condition is extremely challenging due to the rapid progression and severe complications without a transplant.”
“The patient met the criteria for a super-urgent liver transplant requiring immediate intervention.”
Patients with acute liver failure risk developing severe jaundice, bleeding, encephalopathy (neurological impairment), infections and multi-organ failure, according to medical experts.
“Jaundice had started in Nur,” Saif was quoted as saying. “The acute liver failure had also started affecting her brain. This condition has a very high mortality risk exceeding 80 percent if a liver transplant is not performed within 48 hours once the criteria are met. So, it was crucial to find a compatible donor and perform the transplant as soon as possible.”
The National Center for Organ Donation and Transplant at the UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention coordinated the efforts to locate a donor.
Donor located in Kuwait
When a compatible liver from a brain-dead individual in Kuwait was identified, they arranged a private charter aircraft to transport the organ to Abu Dhabi.
The complex procedure involved multiple medical teams working across borders. One doctor traveled to Kuwait to retrieve the donor liver, while another two doctors prepared the patient for surgery in Abu Dhabi.
“We had to ensure that the timing was precise to minimize the ischemic time—the period the liver is out of the body. This was crucial for the success of the transplant,” Dr. Johns Shaji Mathew, one of the doctors who prepared the patient for surgery, explained.
The entire operation, including retrieval and transplantation, took approximately 14 hours.
“The main message is the crucial need for early identification of acute liver failure and timely referral to a transplant center,” said Dr. Saif. “This can make the difference between life and death.”
Post-transplant, Nur was discharged and is continuing follow-up consultations. Her sister, Laelatul Fitri, who flew to Abu Dhabi upon learning of Nur’s condition, expressed gratitude for the care received. “The support and care she received from the collaborative efforts of the doctors and agencies have been incredible,” Fitri said.
