First Albanian kidney transplants

Physicians at Children's are not only pioneering medical procedures in North Texas, they're performing medical firsts around the world.

Dr. Mouin Seikaly, medical director of kidney transplant at Children's and professor of Pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center, was recently part of an international team of physicians that performed the first successful kidney transplants in Albania.

Dr. Mouin Seikaly, medical director of kidney transplant at Children's and professor of Pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center, center, celebrates with fellow members of the international team of physicians that performed the first successful kidney transplants in Albanian history at the Balkan Alliance Medical Center in Albania. The Albanian government heard of Children's preeminence in kidney transplant procedures and invited Dr. Seikaly to join the team.

Establishing a foundation

At the invitation of the Albanian government, Dr. Seikaly worked with physicians from Albania, Turkey and Austria to perform the first kidney transplants and to establish a solid infrastructure for future transplant surgeries. Dr. Seikaly's role involved coordination of care, onsite physician training and post-operative management.

The team successfully performed kidney transplants on two patients in November 2007. The first patient was a 16-year-old male whose sister died from renal failure. His mother was unable to donate her kidney to his sister due to the absence of a kidney transplant program in Albania at the time, but she was able to donate her kidney to him with the help of Dr. Seikaly and the international team.

The most recent update that Dr. Seikaly received indicated that all donors and recipients were in full health.

"I felt honored and privileged to be part of the team," Dr. Seikaly said. "Out of all the things I have done professionally, this was one of the most rewarding. I was part of a team that made a difference not only in the lives of the individuals but also in the country."

Making progress in Albania

Foreign rule, dictatorships and communism have repressed and isolated Albania throughout its history. The country's healthcare system has been slow to develop as a result. However, the Democratic Party, which has been in rule for the last 15 years, has made efforts to expedite its progress.

Dr. Seikaly said that his team's work positioned Albania within reach of having a fully-functioning transplant program. Pediatric Transplantation will publish an article he wrote about the experience in its June issue. The Albanian prime minister, Dr. Sali Berisha, also personally wrote a letter to Dr. Seikaly to commend and thank him for his contribution.

Dr. Seikaly said that he was grateful to Dr. Berisha and Albanian minister of defense Fatmir Mediu for welcoming him to Albania. He said his trip gave him a new perspective on the work he is able to do at Children's.

"I learned to appreciate the setup we have here and the quality of care we provide here at Children's compared to the rest of the world," Dr. Seikaly said. "I realize how fortunate we are to practice in an institution with as high quality of medical care as Children's."

Tags: kidney transplant