The Universitas Academic Hospital in Bloemfontein achieved a milestone after it successfully performed a living donor kidney transplant after a decade. This life-saving transplant surgery involving a young couple was performed on Thursday, 26 October.
The Free State health department has heaped praise on the medical team’s success. According to Mondli Mvambi, spokesperson for the provincial department, the hospital last performed kidney transplant surgeries ten years ago.
“This first kidney transplant at the Universitas hospital is a breakthrough in the resuscitation of patients with kidney failure. This new dispensation is a collaborative multidisciplinary team effort between the departments of urology,” said Mvambi.
He said the medical team was headed by Dr Feziwe Bisiwe (head nephrologist), Dr Willem Dahms (urologist), and Dr Asha Malan (head vascular surgeon). Mvambi said the remarkable transplantation became possible due to the compatibility of the organ after tests were done on the couple, both aged 32 years.
“The husband was the recipient of the organ donated by his spouse, who was approved to give her husband the gift of life. The couple is recovering well and are likely to be discharged soon,” said Mvambi.
The couple’s identity is withheld for protection of their rights and privacy. Kidney transplantation is preferred as the most cost-effective replacement therapy to manage kidney failure.
Mvambi said the province was short of kidney donors to save lives.
“Currently, there are about 250 patients in the public health sector database awaiting kidney transplants. We encourage the public to donate organs to save lives. People can do that whilst they are still alive, and they can also decide to have their organs donated when they are dead,” said Mvambi.
