EMIRATI BROTHER DONATES A SECTION OF HIS LIVER TO HIS

YOUNGER SISTER IN LIFE-SAVING TRANSPLANT SURGERY

Another Significant Medical Milestone at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi –
First Living Related Donor Liver Transplant at the Hospital
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, September 25, 2018:

Surgeons at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, part of Mubadala’s network of healthcare

providers, have performed the hospital’s first living related liver transplant, which saw
a UAE national donate a section of his healthy liver to his youngest sister.
Livers are the human body’s largest essential organ, performing key metabolic and
immune functions. In a traditional transplant operation, the entire organ is taken from
a deceased donor, while in a living related liver transplant, a portion of the liver is
removed from a living relative. As livers are capable of regeneration, a transplanted
section of a healthy liver can ideally regrow into a functional organ for the recipient.
For this operation, a 21-year-old UAE national patient NA, suffering from liver failure,
received a donation from her elder brother AA. Both patients recovered at Cleveland
Clinic Abu Dhabi following the surgery, and both have been discharged to their
home, with ongoing aftercare and support from the hospital.
“We noticed there was a problem when my sister showed signs of extreme fatigue.
After a series of tests, she was diagnosed with liver failure, which required her to
have transplant surgery. We were scared for her because it is a serious, life-
threatening illness, but the doctors were very reassuring. When they explained the
possibility of performing a living organ transplant, we felt it was the right thing to do,”
said the donor, AA.
“I’m so grateful to everyone at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and for the support of my
family,” said NA, the recipient. “The opportunity to have the transplant operation here
made it possible for me to continue my studies before and after the treatment. The
leadership of the UAE has achieved something remarkable by providing us with
access to healthcare normally available in a few leading facilities around the world.”
Dr. Antonio Pinna, Staff Physician in the Digestive Disease Institute at Cleveland
Clinic Abu Dhabi who led the surgical team, explained the challenges of performing
the operation.
“A living related liver transplant is a complex procedure because our multidisciplinary
teams need to perform two surgeries at the same time, safely removing part of the
donor’s liver and transplanting it into the recipient. Following the surgery, both
patients were closely monitored in the ICU and moved into our post-transplant
recovery program, where they continue to receive support,” he said.
He added, “A living related donor program allows us to plan for and schedule the life-
saving surgery while the recipient is in optimal medical condition, which decreases
the risks. This first successful living related donor liver transplant is another key
milestone in our goal to develop a sustainable transplant program that will ultimately
save countless lives in the UAE and the wider region.”
The addition of living related donor liver transplants to the range of treatments now
available at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi provides another option for patients in the
UAE who require similar procedures. Patients no longer need to travel abroad for
treatment when seriously ill, ensuring better aftercare and improved quality of life.
Dr. Rakesh Suri, CEO, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, explained: “One of the promises
we made to the community when we launched Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi was that
we would open the UAE’s first multi-organ transplant center. Following on from our
first kidney transplant in April 2017, we have now performed multiple living and
deceased donor kidney and liver transplants, as well as lung and heart transplants.
The program continues to grow and evolve, in partnership with the health authorities
and other leading hospitals.”
“The availability of a living donor program creates significantly more options for
patients throughout the Emirates who need a transplant operation,” he added. “We
are constantly working to expand the range of treatments available for patients
based on the region’s specific healthcare needs.”
While this was the first living related liver transplant performed at Cleveland Clinic
Abu Dhabi, the multidisciplinary team was able to draw upon the expertise of US-
based partner Cleveland Clinic, a leader in developing and performing Living Donor
Liver Transplants.
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi completed its first living related donor kidney transplant
in April 2017, its first full heart transplant in December 2017, its first deceased donor
liver and lung transplants in February 2018, and its first double lung transplant in
June 2018. The hospital has performed three deceased donor liver transplants in
2018 and is currently preparing for the next living related transplants.
The facility employs a highly skilled team of surgeons and caregivers who
collectively have performed thousands of transplants throughout their careers.
-ENDS-

About Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, part of Mubadala’s network of world-class healthcare providers, is a
multispecialty hospital on Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is a
unique and unparalleled extension of US-based Cleveland Clinic’s model of care, specifically
designed to address a range of complex and critical care requirements unique to the Abu Dhabi
population. Cleveland Clinic Abu

Dhabi has five Centers of Excellence in the following Institutes: Heart & Vascular, Neurological,
Digestive Disease, Eye and Respiratory & Critical Care. Other Institutes include Surgical
Subspecialties, Medical

Subspecialties, Emergency Medicine, Anesthesiology, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Imaging and
Quality & Patient Safety. In all, more than 30 medical and surgical specialties are represented at
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.
The facilities at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi combine state-of-the-art amenities and world-class
service standards. The hospital is a 364 (expandable to 490) bed facility, with five clinical floors, three
diagnostic and treatment levels, and 13 floors of critical and acute inpatient units. It is a physician-led
medical facility served by North American/European Board Certified (or equivalent) physicians.
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi provides patients in the region direct access to the world’s best
healthcare providers and Cleveland Clinic’s unique model of care, reducing their need to travel
abroad for treatment.

Visit us at www.clevelandclinicabudhabi.ae

Mubadala Investment Company

Mubadala is a pioneering global investor, deploying capital with integrity and ingenuity to accelerate
economic growth for the long-term benefit of Abu Dhabi. As Abu Dhabi’s leading strategic investment
company, Mubadala is active in 13 sectors and more than 30 countries around the world, creating
lasting value for our shareholder, the Government of Abu Dhabi.

Our work includes the development of global industrial champions in sectors such as aerospace, ICT,
semiconductors, metals & mining and renewable energy, utilities, and the management of diverse
financial holdings. We build on legacy expertise in oil and gas to invest across the hydrocarbon
spectrum, and enhance the UAE’s growth potential through investments in healthcare, real estate and
defense services. Our investment approach prioritizes partnership with best-in-class organizations
and a commitment to the highest standards of governance.