RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSHRC) has continued to support a patient since her infancy, providing 22 years of continuous care for a rare blood disease, ultimately culminating in a liver transplant.
The Saudi Press Agency (SPA), citing a press release by KFSHRC on Wednesday, reported that when the early signs of disease appeared during the patient’s first months of life, teams raced against time to stabilise her condition.
She was diagnosed with a congenital deficiency of plasminogen, a protein vital for dissolving blood clots. This condition led to fibrous deposits that posed significant risks to her tissues and organs.
The complexity of her case presented both medical and quality-of-life challenges, necessitating a comprehensive, multidisciplinary care approach.
Support extended beyond medical treatment to encompass all aspects of life-sustaining care.
Teams from nursing, nutrition, and information technology worked alongside haematology and transplant specialists to ensure the young girl’s overall well-being.
Over the years of treatment, the patient received regular intravenous doses of plasminogen, as well as specialised eye drops to minimise the impact of the condition on her vision.
The annual cost of her treatment exceeded SAR 6 million, all of which was fully funded by the Saudi government.
The SPA reported that the support underscored the Kingdom’s strong commitment to human health and its dedication to enhancing quality of life, even in the most complex medical cases.
Director of Adult Hematology and Stem Cell Transplant Division at KFSHRC Riyadh, and the supervising physician Dr. Hazzaa Al-Zahrani, explained that managing the case required a precise and long-term approach to prevent complications and ensure stability.
The decision to proceed with a liver transplant came after careful consideration as an extraordinary therapeutic option for an exceptionally rare case.
The success of the procedure marked a turning point in her medical journey and a beacon of hope for patients facing similar conditions worldwide.
