Dow varsity performs 715th kidney transplant, live-streams first surgery in Pakistan’s history

The Dow University Hospital’s Renal Transplant Unit at Ojha Campus achieved a major medical milestone on Friday morning by successfully performing its 715th kidney transplant.

What set this procedure apart was not just the number, but the fact that it became the first-ever kidney transplant in Pakistan to be live-streamed, marking a historic advancement in surgical education and public awareness.

The transplant involved two brothers from Balochistan, one donating a kidney to the other, and was conducted under the supervision of world-renowned transplant experts, Professor John Fung and Professor John La Mattina, both from the University of Chicago, United States.

The surgery was broadcast live from the operation theatre to the seminar hall and streamed across social media platforms, giving medical students, practitioners, and the wider public a rare window into advanced surgical techniques.

Present during the live surgery were leading medical professionals, including Dr. Rashid Bin Hamid, Dr. Niranjan Lal, Dr. Bilal Masood Khan, Dr. Salman Arshad, Dr. Haris Hassan Qureshi, Dr. Rehana Zakri, Professor Arshad Mehmood, Dr. Iftikhar, and Dr. Imran Jalbani. The event also featured a series of presentations and discussions on kidney transplantation, providing valuable insights for attendees.

Vice Chancellor Dow University Prof. Muhammad Saeed Quraishy extended his heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Rashid Bin Hamid and his team for their exemplary achievement. “This is a historic day. Dow University has once again demonstrated its leadership in surgery and medical education,” he said.

Speaking to the media, Dr. Niranjan Lal disclosed that the Dow University is actively working on a proposal to establish an organ donation bank to further facilitate life-saving transplants in the country.

Coinciding with this landmark procedure, Pakistan’s first-ever International Conference on Transplantation is being inaugurated today (April 12) under the aegis of the Dow University of Health Sciences. The two-day conference is set to bring together top global experts in transplantation medicine.

Among the distinguished international participants are Professors John Fung and John La Mattina from the University of Chicago; Pakistani-origin transplant pioneer Dr. Muhammad Mansoor Mohiuddin from the University of Maryland, who famously conducted the world’s first pig-to-human heart transplant in the United States; and Professor Pauolo Grossy from Italy.

These leading figures will present their experiences, research, and observations on the evolving field of organ transplantation. Medical students and junior doctors attending the live workshop described it as a rare and highly enriching experience. “Observing such complex procedures in real-time was invaluable,” one student remarked. A large number of senior healthcare professionals also praised the Dow University’s initiative, calling it a major leap in surgical education.

Prof. Quraishy emphasized that such efforts reflect the university’s continuing strides in research, clinical practice, and medical technology. “Initiatives like this contribute immensely to the hands-on training of our future doctors and surgeons,” he said.

This achievement not only represents a landmark in Pakistan’s transplant history but also sets a shining example of how modern medical technology can be integrated into clinical education and public health advancement.