A specialized team at the Organ Transplant Center of King Abdullah Medical City, part of the Makkah Health Cluster, has successfully performed a complex operation on a 47-year-old Saudi patient suffering from autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, SPA reported.

The medical city said the case required removing both of the patient's enlarged native kidneys, measuring 22 cm and 24 cm, while at the same time performing a pre-emptive kidney transplant from a living donor through a single surgical incision. It described the procedure as rare and advanced, requiring high-level expertise and close coordination among multidisciplinary teams.

The operation lasted more than 10 continuous hours and involved transplant surgeons, anesthesia, nursing and support specialties. It was successful, the transplanted kidney began functioning immediately, and the patient's condition is stable.

According to the medical city, the intervention ended the complications linked to the disease, markedly improved the patient's quality of life and spared him from starting dialysis, with its potential health challenges and future complications. It said the case highlights the value of pre-emptive kidney transplantation in improving treatment outcomes. For patients and families in the region, it shows that highly complex transplant surgery is available locally in Makkah.