RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, March 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH) achieved a global milestone by recording the highest number of kidneys paired donation transplants performed at a single center worldwide, completing 130 transplants in 2025. This figure surpassed the total performed transplants across 23 centers in Canada, which reached 73 transplants, as well as the highest-volume single center in the United States, which carried out 94 during the same period.
The achievement reflects the steady growth of the program since its launch in 2016, bringing the cumulative number of kidneys paired transplants performed under the program to 691 by the end of 2025, positioning it among the leading single-center kidney transplant initiatives globally.
This success was driven by a fully integrated operational model within one center, combining advanced immunology laboratory capabilities for precise compatibility testing, a coordinated system for managing complex exchange chains, and multidisciplinary clinical teams including transplant physicians and surgeons, anesthesiologists, transplant coordinators, nursing staff, and histocompatibility laboratory specialists. Together, they execute simultaneous procedures with high efficiency while maintaining patient safety at every stage of care.
The kidney paired donation program represents an innovative solution that expands access to transplantation by enabling kidney exchanges among patients whose blood types or tissue profiles are incompatible with their original donors. Through structured donor exchanges, patients are matched with more compatible donors, providing a pathway to transplantation for many who otherwise struggle to find suitable matches.
It is worth noting that King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre was ranked first in the Middle East and North Africa and 12th globally among the world’s top 250 academic medical centers for 2026. It was also recognized as the most valuable healthcare brand in the Kingdom and the Middle East by Brand Finance in 2025, and was listed by Newsweek among the World’s Best Hospitals 2025, the World’s Best Smart Hospitals 2026, and the World’s Best Specialized Hospitals 2026.
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