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Cross-organ transplantation is a breakthrough in the field of transplantation. It gives hope to hundreds of thousands of patients from different parts of the world. The procedure involves ‘swapping’ the donors between the recipients so that everybody can get a matching organ. This solves the problems of shortage of suitable donor organs. Learn more about how the world’s first cross kidney transplantation of 7 patients took place in our article.
“Domino” kidney transplantation
The exchange of experience is very important in the development of medicine. During conferences, doctors from different countries receive important information about the latest treatment options for patients which have already been successfully used in leading clinics.
In 2019, an international symposium on modern approaches to organ transplantation took place in Kyiv, in which representatives of MediGlobus participated.
At the event, in particular, they talked about conducting a unique surgery at the base of the Medicana Hospital – cross-transplantation/paired kidney exchange. Called a “domino” surgery, the transplantation was conducted to seven patients from seven donors. Among European clinics such a transplant was carried out for the first time. The Medicana Organ Transplant Centre has become the second centre in the world, after Yale University in the United States of America, capable of performing such operations. New organs were received by patients from both Turkey and from other countries.
The surgical intervention lasted ten hours and was carried out by nine surgeons from various medical centres under the guidance of the leading Turkish transplant surgeons – Murat Tuncer and Muzaffer Sarıyar.
Read: How did the cross-over kidney transplant go?
The essence of cross-organ transplantation is as follows: if a related donor does not suit the patient for medical reasons, another relative of the patient and the donor with the same problem are selected. If the donor of one donor is compatible with the patient of another relative and vice versa, the organ transplant will be successfully performed.
At this stage, cross-donation owns a small proportion of transplants being performed – only 5%. Turkish specialists are sure that thanks to the wider practice of cross-organ transplantation, physicians will be able to save more human lives and time.
Surgeons of the Medicana Hospital do not plan to stop there – soon they are planning to conduct an operation for a larger number of such patients. Transplantologists expect to transplant organs to 10 patients at the same time, which means that surgical intervention will be carried out for 20 people simultaneously for the first time in the history of kidney transplants.
At the post-operative conference with the press, Prof Murat Tuncer shared the following: “Cross-transplantation is a wonderful method that has just started to be used and it allows a kidney transplant to be given to almost any patient. It is also the most difficult method of donor matching in transplantology, and it gives any patient with any donor a chance to get a healthy organ.”
It is very important for the MediGlobus team to cooperate with specialists such as Murat Tuncer and Muzaffer Sarıyar. By working together, we will be able to help more people in need of organ transplants. To organise treatment abroad, click the button below and fill in the contact form.
Patient testimonials on cross kidney transplantation
Hospital: Medicana
Procedure: Kidney transplant
Patient’s age: 26 year
Esra Saykılı: “Initially my sister was supposed to be the donor for me, however it didn’t work out. So I went for a cross-transplant. This is my second transplant of this organ. The first time, my mum gave me a kidney. I lived with the donor organ for 7 years and it started to fail. Now, after the transplant, I feel reborn.”
Hospital: Medicana
Procedure: Kidney transplant
Возраст пациента: 50 years
Selçuk Pehlivanoğlu: “Patients who need a kidney transplant find it difficult to find a suitable donor. My wife went through this. For donors, the procedure is a little easier, but it is also worth keeping a close eye on yourself after the organ is removed. Becoming an organ donor means giving someone a chance for a normal life.”
Hospital: Medicana
Procedure: Kidney transplant
Patient’s age: 39 years
Hasan Bilgi: “God bless everyone. We were very surprised with the transplant, we are very happy. I had a lot of difficulties with dialysis. Thank God we got rid of them. My husband’s kidneys, my brothers and sisters’ kidneys were tested, but they were not a match. Then a cross-transplant was done.”
Hospital: Medicana
Procedure: Kidney transplant
Patient’s age: 40 years
Arife Özcan: “We voluntarily joined the cross-transplant list for my wife’s sake. Thus, my kidney went to Şefika Köker. She is now like a sister to me. We all started living with each other, we are now like friends, brothers, sisters and relatives”.
Summary
Cross organ transplantation gives many patients a chance at life. It somewhat alleviates the problem of finding a suitable donor organ. It involves a kind of “exchange” of donors in different families.
Turkey has performed the world’s first cross kidney transplantation using the domino principle. Seven patients were successfully transplanted with a donor organ at the same time. Nine doctors took part in the procedure. It lasted 10 hours.
A cross kidney transplant was performed at Medicana Hospital in Turkey. This is a wide-ranging hospital that is one of the leading hospitals in Istanbul. Transplantation is one of the top areas of the hospital.
If you need help with organising organ transplantation abroad – our coordinators are ready to help you choose a clinic and a specialist! Submit your request in the form below and expect a call back from MediGlobus soon.
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