The Mohammed VI Foundation for Science and Health in Casablanca has successfully performed the first kidney transplant with ABO blood type incompatibility in Africa.
This significant surgical intervention represents a major medical advancement, allowing for kidney transplantation between mismatched blood type donors and recipients. It is the result of close coordination among anesthesiology and resuscitation, nephrology, urology, hematology, medical biology—particularly immunology—the Mohammed VI Blood Transfusion Centre, and the vascular surgery team. The achievement was supported scientifically by Professor Lionel Rusting, an expert in ABO incompatible kidney transplantation.
In a related statement, Professor Abdelbar Abbaïz, General Director of a hospital affiliated with the Mohammed VI Foundation for Science and Health, emphasized that this procedure is a first on both national and continental levels. He noted that the success of the surgical intervention was made possible by the human, technical, and organizational resources provided by the foundation.
He explained that the main challenge in such surgical procedures lies in the preparation of the patient before the kidney transplantation, a process that requires collaboration among specialists in various medical fields, including hematology, immunology, nephrology, urology, and vascular surgery.
Abbaïz also mentioned that the team benefited from the assistance of a renowned French professor, which contributed to creating optimal conditions during the pre-surgical phase. He highlighted that the surgical operation was entirely carried out by a Moroccan medical team.
Regarding the patient who underwent the kidney transplant, Abbaïz confirmed that her condition shows positive signs. He added that this success opens important avenues for providing alternatives to dialysis for many patients.
Ramadani Benyounes, Director of Nephrology at the Mohammed VI Foundation for Science and Health hospitals, highlighted the strategic nature of this advancement, noting that approximately a quarter of kidney transplant candidates have incompatible ABO blood types.
Benyounes stated that the patient underwent a one-month preparation process, followed by intensive monitoring throughout the critical period extending from the first week to the first month after the surgical operation.
He remarked, “We are now on the sixteenth day post-transplant. The patient is showing normal kidney function and has completely stopped dialysis. This provides hope that the kidney will function for many years, allowing the patient to return to a normal life.”
With this achievement, the Mohammed VI Foundation for Science and Health reaffirms its commitment to developing exceptional medicine in service of the kingdom and the continent. The foundation aims to expand access to organ transplantation and push the limits of immunological compatibility.
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