A kidney transplant operation between two friends, Ronit Shitrit and Yair Glaor, spanned different continents and saved Shitrit's life, along with the life of a patient in the Czech Republic.
Shitrit had been waiting for a kidney transplant for a while after her medical condition continued to deteriorate with no donor in sight. Glaor, her long-time friend, decided to donate his own.
However, it was soon discovered that Glaor was not a direct match for a transplant, and their medical details were entered into the National Transplant Center's cross-matching database. The entry resulted in an international kidney transplant exchange in which Glaor donated his kidney to a patient in the Czech Republic, and the wife of the Czech patient donated her kidney to Shitrit.
The complex and sensitive cross-continental operation required coordination between senior officials in both countries, with an emphasis on the precise timing of operating rooms, flights, and quick security and customs arrangements.
Making an international kidney exchange
The operation began in the middle of the night at the Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem’s Ein Kerem. It was managed and coordinated by the National Transplant Center.
Dr. Tamar Ashkenazi, director of the National Transplant Center, was in charge of coordinating the transplant. Alongside her on the flight to Prague were coolers containing two kidneys that were removed overnight from two Israeli donors at Hadassah Ein Kerem, which were intended for transplantation in two Czech patients.
In the evening, at around 10 p.m., the transplants in Israel were completed, and the Czech kidneys successfully functioned in the bodies of the Israeli recipients, as reported similarly from Prague regarding the Israeli kidneys that were transplanted in the Czech Republic.
"We planned the process precisely, and were in constant contact with our counterparts in the Czech Republic regarding the surgical issues. Every action that takes place is critical and impacts the continuation of the operation," said Dr. Ashraf Imam, a senior surgeon in the transplant unit at Hadassah, who participated in the transplant operation.
Life before the operation
Shitrit (63), married and a mother of three from Jerusalem, had lived with various kidney problems for many years. "The problems started many years ago, but I learned to live with them and was under constant monitoring," Shitrit recounted.
About a year ago, Ronit contracted a bacterial infection in her intestines that caused severe dehydration, worsening her kidney condition.
Shitrit was forced to connect to a dialysis machine several times a week for treatment, and her overall physical and mental state was very low. "It was a year where I just felt terrible – many days of vomiting and nausea. The hardest part was feeling that you were losing the life you had and your freedom – now you depend on a machine to keep from collapsing," she explained.
Transplant donor Glaor explained, "Ronit's family and my family are very close. It's a friendship of many years. When Ronit told me about her critical condition, the first thing I asked was what her blood type was. For me, it was clear that if I could help her, that’s what I would do."
Dr. Abed Khalaileh, director of the Hadassah kidney transplantation service, emphasized the complex nature of the procedure requiring precise coordination among all parties, with multidisciplinary teams responsible for various tests to ensure the kidney’s compatibility with the recipients, the preparation for the surgery, and its execution.
"We went through an operation during which the Israeli kidneys left on time for the Czech Republic, the Czech kidneys arrived on time in Israel and were successfully transplanted into the patients, and everyone is feeling well—the wonderful donors and the patients who received a new lease on life," Khalaileh explained.
Seeing the relief and joy on the faces of the patients after the surgery makes it clear how important and significant the donation is and how vital our connection with doctors worldwide is to save lives," Khalaileh concluded.