The academic hospital performed Africa’s first incompatible kidney transplant in January on 35-year-old Chervon Meyer. Meyer has been undergoing dialysis treatments for the last 10 years, EWN reports.
She received the kidney from her brother, who is of a different blood type. Nephrologist Zunaid Barday,said that previously incompatible blood type transplants were ‘an absolute barrier’, but that with the intervention of the Glycosorb® ABO, the procedure is now possible and with diminished complications.
Glycosorb® ABO has so far been used in more than 6,000 transplants. The results have been presented in over 60 scientific articles in reputable medical journals. Each kidney transplant saves about 150 dialysis treatments per year and has been estimated to save up to SEK 5 million in dialysis costs alone. In addition to Europe, the product is used in Australia, Canada, India, Israel, Mexico, Singapore, South Africa and Thailand, for example.
According to the Glycosorb® ABO website, the medical device which was invented in 2001, has enabled organ transplants of patients with different blood groups and has been used in 29 countries. Although its primary function lies in kidney transplants, it can also facilitate stem cell, liver, heart, lung, and pancreas transplants.
Dr Barday said that although organ transplants of varying blood types can also be performed through a plasma exchange, the treatment where the plasma in the patient’s blood is separated and replaced with plasma from a donor, overcomes adverse effects such as the suppression of a patient’s immune system.
‘Finally, they found this new medicine for me that I could finally be able to live a normal life. I can get a job… I can go and work for my children… I can do anything. Nothing is stopping me’, said Meyer, expressing her gratitude for the procedure.
Meyer had been on the waiting list for a new kidney for ten years.