At the heart of Saudi Arabia’s remarkable medical advancements, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSHRC) stands out with a series of qualitative achievements in organ transplantation. KFSHRC’s Organ Transplant Centre of Excellence (OTCoE) has earned a prestigious position for its expertise in solid organ transplants, including liver, kidney, and lung transplants. In the past year, the hospital successfully conducted 1,092 transplants, including the world’s first full robotic liver transplant from a living donor, utilizing robotic technology in both the donor organ retrieval and transplant stages.
Just a few weeks ago, the OTCoE culminated its efforts by performing the world’s first full robotic heart transplant, a significant achievement that strengthens Saudi Arabia’s global leadership in healthcare and highlights KFSHRC’s ability to innovate in medical practices, ultimately improving patient outcomes and experiences.
As a Platinum Sponsor at the Global Health Exhibition, held in Riyadh from October 21 to 23, KFSHRC will showcase its more than four-decade-long journey in organ transplant. Since the establishment of the Organ Transplant Program in 1981, the hospital has performed approximately 9,000 successful transplants.
KFSHRC has also excelled in overcoming challenges related to donor-patient compatibility in kidney transplants, through its pioneering Kidney Paired Donation (KPD) program, which facilitates the exchange of living donors whose blood types and tissues are not compatible with the intended recipients, providing more opportunities for those awaiting transplants. This program, which involves simultaneous removal and transplantation of multiple kidneys, has significantly accelerated the matching process, reduced waiting times, and enabled the hospital to perform over 5,000 kidney transplants since the center’s inception.
OTCoE’s achievements are not limited to performing organ transplants but have also extended to the field of prevention and specialized patient care. In 2023, KFSHRC established a specialized Vaccination Clinic for solid organ transplant recipients. This clinic offers tailored vaccination plans based on each patient’s immune status and type of transplant, reducing the risk of infections that could affect transplant outcomes. In less than a year, the clinic has served 150 patients.
One of the clinic’s notable successes includes administering the “Shingrix” vaccine to organ transplant patients, achieving a 73% compliance rate for the first dose, with 55% of patients returning for the second dose. This strong commitment to preventive care reflects KFSHRC’s dedication to safeguarding patients following complex surgeries.
It is noteworthy that KFSHRC 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 and included in the World’s Best Smart Hospitals list for 2025 by Newsweek magazine. For more information, visit www.kfshrc.edu.sa or contact our media team at mediacoverage@kfshrc.edu.sa
