The first liver transplant in Saudi Arabia and the Arab world

Abstract

The first liver transplant in Saudi Arabia and in the Arab world was performed on the 30th of July, 1990, in the Armed Forces Hospital in Riyadh, on a 23-year-old male with end-stage liver disease due to sclerosing cholangitis. There were no major post-operative or post-transplantation complications. Now, sixteen months post-transplantation, the patient is doing well on immunosuppressive therapy with an almost normal liver function, and is already back at work and carrying out normal activities. This report shows that liver transplantation can be performed successfully in this part of the world.