Press Release March, 25 2008

SKMC performs successfully  30 cornea transplant since the Cornea transplant program started

 Abu Dhabi - The Department of Ophthalmology at the Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC) managed by Cleveland Clinic has successfully performed more than 30 Cornea Transplants since last June 2007 when this procedure was initially offered at SKMC for the first time. Of the first 30 patients, 13 were males and 17 were females, and 70% of the patients’ total number suffered from Keratoconus, while the rest had the surgery done for other reasons like corneal infections and trauma.

Dr. Kenneth Ouriel, CEO of SKMC praised the efforts of the multi-disciplinary team of the Corneal Transplantation Service. He stated that “the surgeon, Dr. Saleh Saif Al Mosabi, and the corneal transplantation team are considered as the first permanent team fully dedicated to corneal transplantation in the public hospitals at the UAE. In regards to that, SKMC will continue to take the lead in Transplantation Care in the UAE which includes till this day corneal and kidneys transplantation, offering current, up-to-date treatment protocols under the competent guidance and management of Cleveland Clinic”.

He affirmed that “…the goal of performing the Corneal Transplant Surgeries is to reduce the medical requirement for overseas travel, provide world class transplantation services to all UAE Residents, and provide family members an opportunity to participate in the wellness process before and after surgery. Health statistics show that the family is a vital part of the healing process and SKMC and SEHA are happy to provide this service within the community.”

Mr. Saif Bader Al Qubaisi, Managing Director of Abu Dhabi health Services Company – SEHA stated that “the corneal transplant program is a significant advance in ophthalmology and transplantation for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the UAE and the region. SEHA and SKMC are sincerely committed to the continuous improvement of healthcare in Abu Dhabi and the UAE, and offering the corneal transplantation procedures is a significant step forward.  It enables us to treat patients in the UAE rather than sending them abroad for treatment.  This will result not only in limiting the suffering of the patients outside the country, but also in increased convenience and comfort for them and their respective families.”

Carl Stanifer, CEO of SEHA, added “our goal is to offer world class healthcare to the residents of Abu Dhabi. Results like these validate our strategy of partnership with leading providers like Cleveland Clinic who can help us achieve that goal.”

Dr. Saleh Saif Al Mosabi, Consultant Ophthalmologist at SKMC who has performed the surgeries, stated that “With the support of Abu Dhabi Health Services Company – SEHA, the majority of cornea transplant surgeries recently performed at SKMC were done using the air bubble technique known as ‘Deep Lamellar Cornea Transplant’, it is considered a very advanced technique for corneal transplant which make it available in very few countries and has a low rejection rate.”

Dr. AL Mosabi, who has been trained in Canada on this new technique, clarified that "The biggest risk in any transplantation is the body rejecting the new donated organ. The old techniques for cornea transplant have 15 to 40 per cent risk of the body rejecting implanted cornea. However, the new technique makes the risk of cornea rejection almost zero.

SKMC deals with well-recognized eye banks in the United States. "The normal process we go through is receiving from an eye bank in the US the cornea, which is taken from the donor within 12 hours of his or her death, as per a prior agreement between SKMC and the eye bank. The surgery should then be done within two weeks. The operation lasts almost two hours and we can discharge the patient from the hospital a day after the operation depending on his/her medical situation." Dr. Al Mosabi added that “We also have a close monitoring system to make sure imported cornea is in good condition ensuring its excellent quality”.

The Ophthalmology plan is to conduct another 20 cornea transplant surgeries within the next three months which would refer to performing a total of 50 cornea transplant surgeries during the first year of this medical service. 

About SKMC

Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC), located in Abu Dhabi, UAE, operates under the management of Cleveland Clinic, named one of the top three hospitals in the USA by U.S. News and World Report . SKMC is owned and operated by SEHA, the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, recently established to oversee operations of all public hospitals in the Emirate.  It is the flagship institution for the public health system in Abu Dhabi and has several 'Centers of Excellence,' and aspires to practice contemporary medicine comparable to the best hospitals and medical centers in the world. SKMC provides comprehensive health care services in all of the disciplines relevant to the needs and priorities of the community to attain the highest levels of patient satisfaction.

SKMC consists of a 550-bed Acute Care Hospital, a 120-bed Behavior Sciences Pavilion and the 90-bed Abu Dhabi Rehabilitation Center, in addition to more than 12 specialized outpatient clinics and ten primary healthcare centers around the city of Abu Dhabi.