ABU DHABI: In a groundbreaking medical achievement, the first paediatric liver transplant in the UAE has been performed on a four-year-old girl, marking the first living donor paediatric liver transplant in the country.

This milestone surgery carried out at Burjeel Medical City (BMC) marks a significant leap forward in the UAE’s advanced medical capabilities.

The patient, Razia Khan, was diagnosed with a rare, genetic liver condition called Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis type 3 (PFIC).

‘Razia’s condition is caused due to a genetic mutation, which leads to an abnormality in the formation and secretion of bile components and bile acids, ultimately leading to damage to the liver. It presents in infancy and early childhood as signs of growth failure and complications of liver failure. The only definitive and curative treatment for these children is liver transplantation,’ said Dr. Rehan Saif, Director Transplant Surgery for Burjeel Abdominal Multi-Organ Transplant Program, Clinical Lead HPB Su
rgery, Consultant General Surgery.

After extensive evaluations, the doctors recommended that a liver transplant was necessary to save Razia’s life. In an act of love and duty, her father volunteered to be the donor.

The transplant team at BMC, led by Dr. Saif, successfully performed simultaneous donor and recipient surgeries, which lasted 10 hours.

‘This is a monumental achievement for the UAE’s medical community. It ensures that children like Razia can receive life-saving treatments without the need to travel abroad. We are proud to have reached this milestone and look forward to helping more families in the future,’ Dr. Saif said.

According to the doctor, Razia has made an excellent recovery from her life-saving liver transplant and will be on regular follow-up. She will be able to start school and enjoy her childhood like any other child her age.

Source: Emirates News Agency