Medical Korea Proves Global Competitiveness in Kidney Transplant

SEOUL, South Korea, March 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- The Korean Government has announced that the second patient from Abu Dhabi received a complex kidney transplant successfully on February 1. The Abu Dhabi Health Authority transferred the patient to Korea as a renowned US hospital had informed the patient that she would be unable to receive the surgery due to the high possibility of post-operative side-effects.

This is the second patient from Abu Dhabi to be treated in Korea after the Abu Dhabi Health Authority signed agreements with four leading Korean hospitals last November. The second patient, who received a kidney transplant, is a 34-year-old woman who has suffered from Type-I diabetes since the age of six. Frequent hemodialysis has been used to manage her impaired renal function as well. Because of these medical conditions, she was categorized as high HLA (Human Leukocyte Antigen) sensitization on transplantation that can increase the risk of transplantation rejection after surgery.

As a result, the Abu Dhabi Health Authority transferred the patient to Korea because the Korean hospitals recorded world-class success rates in kidney transplant. In particular, Asan Medical Center had great experiences in the treatment of desensitization therapy for patients with high HLA sensitization. The patient was finally hospitalized at Asan Medical Center with her brother, the kidney donor, and then received a successful kidney transplant. The patient was discharged from the hospital on February 17 after full recovery. The patient was especially satisfied with the result and is on the waiting list for a pancreas transplant for the final treatment of her debilitating diabetes.

In fact, South Korea has a distinguished level for successful kidney transplants with the 5-year survival rate being 95.1%, surpassing the 80.7% recorded in the U.S. Asan Medical Center has especially performed the highest number of living donor kidney transplants in the world along with other major Korean hospitals that have all provided more than 1,500 kidney transplants with more than 95% survival rates.

An official from the Ministry of Health and Welfare said, "The successful kidney transplant operation for the second patient from Abu Dhabi is a good example of the excellence of 'Medical Korea'".

For more information, please contact Yang Ji-young of the Korea Health Development Institute's Global Healthcare Business Department at +82-043-713-8248 or [email protected].

SOURCE Korea Health Industry Development Institute