Renal transplantation in Saudi Arabia

Renal transplantation is the preferred treatment for end-stage renal disease (ESRD). It is less costly and provides a more normal quality of life. The sudden wealth from oil income provided the ESRD patients of some Middle Eastern countries the opportunity for hemodialysis and renal transplantation. Because of the unavailability of cadaver kidneys and the large families, local programs relied on living-related donors. Many other patients travelled abroad to receive cadaver kidneys. However, in contrast to centers in North America or Europe where the population has had access to adequate medical care for some time, transplantation was being done in patients from Middle Eastern countries still endemic for TB, schistosomiasis, hepatitis B, malaria, and intestinal parasites. The results of the renal transplant program at The King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, are presented.