Cyprus performs successful kidney transplant between two couples

In a statement, the State Health Services Organisation announced that the George Kyriakides Transplant Clinic of Nicosia General Hospital successfully carried out the first kidney transplant between two Cypriot couples, a milestone for the country's healthcare sector. The transplant involved a total of four surgeries, during which simultaneous laparoscopic nephrectomies were performed on the donors followed by simultaneous transplantation on the recipients.

Two surgical teams from Cyprus and England, led by transplant surgeon Dr Michalis Papoulas and Guy's Hospital's transplant surgeon, Dr Nikos Kessaris, respectively, worked together on the surgeries. The postoperative course of donors and recipients has been very good, and all four participants are currently being monitored at Nicosia General Hospital.

The innovative chiasmatic transplantation is a solution for individuals who are in need of a transplant but have potential living donors who are unable to donate due to incompatible blood groups or incompatible histocompatibilities. This method has proved to be highly successful and increases the success rate of such operations.

The SHSO expressed its sincere gratitude to the medical and nursing staff of the Transplant Clinic, the Transplant Coordinators, and other staff members who participated in the successful performance of the 1st Cypriot chiasmatic transplantation. The organization also declared its commitment to supporting any action that promotes the scientific level of the organization and the general health of citizens.