A 40-year-old United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based Indian father, Imran Khan, who lost his first daughter to a rare liver condition, has donated his liver to save the life of his second daughter, who suffered from the same disease.
The transplant team at Burjeel Medical City (BMC), Abu Dhabi, led by Bangalore-based Dr Rehan Saif, successfully performed simultaneous donor and recipient surgeries, which lasted 10 hours on Wednesday, July 10.
This milestone surgery is considered the UAE’s first living-donor paediatric liver transplant, the Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.
Razia Khan, a 4-year-old born in Abu Dhabi, was diagnosed with a rare genetic liver condition called Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis Type 3 (PFIC).
Having lost their first daughter to PFIC three years ago in India, the family was acutely aware of the devastating effects of the condition.
Razia, who was prescribed medication and routine check-ups until she was old enough for a liver transplant, has been unable to attend nursery and reach growth milestones.
Three months ago, Razia’s spleen and liver enlarged, prompting doctors to suggest a transplant.
“Razia’s condition is caused by a genetic mutation, leading to an abnormality in the formation and secretion of bile components and bile acids, ultimately damaging the liver,” Dr Saif said.
“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.”
This surgery marks a significant leap forward in the UAE’s advanced medical capabilities.
“This is a monumental achievement for the UAE’s medical community,” he said.
“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 Razia was making “an excellent recovery from her life-saving liver transplant and will be on regular follow-up. Her physical and intellectual development will return to normalcy with an improved quality of life.”
“She will be able to start school and enjoy her childhood like any other child her age.”
