Doha, Qatar: The pediatric nephrology and hypertension services at Sidra Medicine have improved the lives of hundreds of children and adolescents with a variety of complex kidney diseases in Qatar.
One of the crucial services provided by the division to children with end-stage kidney disease is kidney transplants. The department has conducted 12 kidney transplants since the launch of the transplantation services in April 2019.
“Kidney transplants can change the life expectancy and quality of life for the patient, many of whom can go on to live almost normal lives without the need of dialysis,” Pediatric Nephrologist at Sidra Medicine Dr. Ahmad Kaddourah told The Peninsula.
“Sidra Medicine’s kidney transplantation approach is based on a multi-disciplinary pre-transplant evaluation process and post-transplant care including inpatient and outpatient care. The service is supported by allied health services including social, psychological, and nutritional needs as well as appropriate medical, surgical and intensive care management. The service includes transplantations from both living and deceased donors,” he added.
Sidra Medicine works closely with Hamad Medical Corporation’s Qatar Center for Organ Transplantation (Hiba), which regulates and monitors the country’s organ donation programme. The organ donation programme is based on the accepted notion that organ and tissue donation helps others by giving them a good chance to live better without a failing organ.
Dr. Kaddourah also encouraged people to enroll with Qatar’s Organ Donor Registry, which has registered around 25 percent of the population in the country as potential donors. Sidra Medicine, a member of Qatar Foundation the only nephrology service in Qatar is offering comprehensive, multidisciplinary, tertiary and quaternary service for children under 18 diagnosed with kidney disorders. The services include for nephrology, hypertension, dialysis, and transplant in addition the regular out- patient and in-patient care clinics and units.
“Our nephrologists diagnose and treat children with kidney conditions at every stage, and we consistently offer the standard top-notch management and care,” he said. “We work in tandem with a multidisciplinary team of experts to ensure we provide the most advanced treatment options available to address a full range of pediatric kidney diseases. Our team multidisciplinary team offers personalized care and supports every step of the way and we are deeply passionate about the complex care required to treat children in Qatar with kidney diseases,” he added.
When a child’s kidney becomes severely damaged, it can result in acute or chronic kidney disease, or kidney failure - both of which are life-threatening conditions. Kidney disease among children is a serious condition that requires continuous medical care. High blood pressure is a growing healthcare burden and is related not only to kidney disease but also to being overweight and obese. Dialysis is the treatment needed to purify blood and get rid of excess fluid when kidneys can no longer do that.
He said that Sidra Medicine’s multi disciplinary team provides ICU care for critically ill patients and the division of nephrology in collaboration with the ICU teams support these children with a set of therapeutic approaches to clear the blood and imorv ethe outcome in these sick babies and children.
“We provide all modalities of dialysis using the most advanced technology. Our team will help the parents find the most appropriate treatment modality that both suits the medical condition and maintain the quality of life and daily activities as close to normal as possible,” Dr. Kaddourah said.
