Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSHRC) in Riyadh scripted another history of successful heart transplant. A two-and-a-half-year-old girl underwent successful heart transplant after receiving heart from a four-year-old boy.

The successful transplant surgery was carried out after an eight-month wait for a donor during which the hospital became her temporary home after doctors decided to implant a heart pump due to a severe cardiomyopathy diagnosis. Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of various teams at KFSHRC, the Saudi Centre for Organ Transplantation (SCOT), and the Riyadh Traffic Department, the girl’s dream of returning home and joining her family is now within reach, the hospital said in a press statement.

With the young girl's body now receiving a beating heart, her family is filled with joy and hope. Yet, 37 other children and their families across Saudi Arabia continue to anxiously await for a life-changing call informing them of an available donor.

KFSHRC reported that last Tuesday morning, the hospital was notified by the SCOT of the availability of a suitable donor in Taif—a four-year-old boy who had been declared brain-dead. Immediately, KFSHRC’s medical team in Riyadh travelled to Taif, where the young boy’s heart awaited to give new life to the young girl.

Upon the team’s return to Riyadh at 8:30 on Wednesday morning, they encountered heavy traffic congestion. However, thanks to the swift coordination with the Riyadh Traffic Department, a clear route was secured for the ambulance, covering over 40 kilometres in just 25 minutes. The specialized medical team was prepared and began the transplant as soon as the heart arrived at KFSHRC. The procedure was successful, and the young girl is now convalescing under close medical observation.

The hospital emphasized that these collective efforts and intensive communication between various teams helped overcome all logistical and medical challenges, including the blood type mismatch between the donor and the recipient. Still, the team’s expertise in such operations restored hope to the young girl and brought joy to her family.

It is noteworthy that King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre has been ranked first in the Middle East and Africa and 20th globally, in the list of the world’s top 250 Academic Medical Centres for the second consecutive year and recognized as the most valuable healthcare brand in the Kingdom and the Middle East, according to the 2024 Brand Finance rankings. Additionally in the same year, it was ranked among the world’s best 250 hospitals by Newsweek magazine.