For the first time in the history of Kazakhstani medicine, a team of transplant surgeons led by Professor Bolatbek Baimakhanov at the National Scientific Center of Surgery named after A.N. Syzganov performed a unique triple cross kidney transplant operation.
In a single day, over the course of 12 hours, three donor surgeries and three kidney transplantations were successfully conducted among patients who were medically incompatible with their own relatives. Thanks to the method of paired kidney exchange (cross-donation), each patient received a life-saving organ.
Cross kidney transplantation enables multiple transplants to be carried out simultaneously between donor-recipient pairs who are not biologically related. In cases where a related donor is incompatible due to blood type or tissue mismatch, doctors can identify another family in a similar situation. If the pairs match with each other, a donor exchange takes place, making the transplant possible.
It is worth noting that Kazakhstan is now among the six countries worldwide capable of performing such high-tech interventions, along with the USA, UK, Israel, Turkey, and India. These complex procedures require exceptional skill and medical expertise. The largest cross-transplant in history— involving 7 donors and 7 recipients — was conducted in Turkey in 2019.
This achievement marks a major milestone in the development of transplant medicine in Kazakhstan. In 2022, the University Medical Center Corporate Fund in Astana conducted the first pediatric paired kidney exchange, with mothers of young patients serving as donors. The surgeries were performed simultaneously in four operating rooms.
In 2024, under the leadership of Professor Baimakhanov, the first cross kidney transplant between adult patients was successfully carried out at the Syzganov Center. Since then, the number of participating donor-recipient pairs has continued to grow annually. And now — the first triple transplant operation in the country’s history has been completed.
Today, Kazakhstan offers all modern alternatives for kidney transplantation amid organ shortages, including altruistic donation, ABO-incompatible transplantation, and cross-donation.
Against the backdrop of rising demand for kidney transplantation and an increasing number of patients on dialysis, the expansion of cross-donation programs is a critical step in saving lives and advancing the field of national transplantation.
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