Organs from a brain-dead donor saves four lives

MUSCAT: The Royal Hospital, in cooperation with Khoula Hospital and the Omani Center for Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation, successfully performed a comprehensive organ donation procedure from a brain-dead patient. The donation of the heart, liver, and kidneys saved the lives of four critically-ill patients.
Khoula Hospital received a patient who had been declared brain dead according to the approved medical protocols. Specialised medical teams, in coordination with the Omani Center for Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation, then assessed the case, completed all necessary medical, legal, and ethical requirements and got in touch with the donor’s family, who gave their consent for the donation, thereby granting four patients a new chance of life.
The Centre, in collaboration with medical teams at Khoula Hospital and the Royal Hospital, conducted a series of clinical, laboratory, and immunological tests to assess organ viability and compatibility with patients on the waiting lists, adhering to rigorous scientific standards that ensure the highest levels of safety, quality, and success rates.
Given the specialised equipment and advanced capabilities required for heart transplants, the donor was transferred to the Royal Hospital. There, specialised medical teams performed the organ retrieval and transplantation procedures within a comprehensive and highly coordinated framework, ensuring organ viability and minimising the time between retrieval and transplantation.
The operation resulted in the transplantation of a heart, liver, and kidneys to four patients suffering from advanced organ failure. All procedures ended successfully, and the patients’ health stabilised following the surgeries. They completed their treatment and rehabilitation programmes and were discharged from the hospital.
Dr Noreen bint Yousef al Balushi, Director of the Omani Center for Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation, emphasised the Center’s commitment to managing all stages of the process according to approved regulatory and medical frameworks and in line with best international practices. A number of national experts from various specialities contributed to this achievement.
She added that this included early coordination among the relevant medical teams, fulfilling all legal, religious, and ethical requirements, ensuring the application of donor and recipient evaluation protocols, and overseeing logistical and organisational aspects to guarantee the safety and speed of procedures, thus achieving the highest levels of quality and efficiency.
Dr Noreen said that the Center’s vision is to build a comprehensive and sustainable national system for organ and tissue donation and transplantation. This will be achieved by promoting donation from brain-dead individuals, expanding transplant programmes to include more organs and tissues such as lungs, heart, intestines, pancreas, liver, kidneys, developing the infrastructure and specialised national workforce and strengthening local, regional, and international partnerships.
It is noteworthy that this is the third successful heart transplant in the Sultanate of Oman, reflecting the progress achieved by the national healthcare system in the field of organ transplantation and confirming the competence of national medical personnel in performing complex specialised procedures. — ONA