KARACHI: The Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) has successfully carried out corneal transplantation using tissues donated by a deceased donor, restoring vision to two patients and marking another significant achievement in the field of organ transplantation.
According to SIUT, the donor was the late Sher Ali Taheem, a 17-year-old student and resident of Karachi, who was admitted to the institute after suffering a severe brain hemorrhage. Despite intensive medical treatment, he remained in the intensive care unit for two days and was later declared brain dead.
SIUT stated that Sher Ali had a long association with the institute. At the age of eight, he underwent a kidney transplant at SIUT, with his mother donating a kidney. The transplant functioned successfully for nearly ten years. However, in recent months, he developed graft rejection, became dependent on dialysis, and was awaiting a second kidney transplant.
In a gesture of exceptional compassion, the family of the deceased consented to donate his corneas. The corneal transplantation procedures were performed by the SIUT transplant team on January 7. As a result, vision was restored to two patients, including a 45-year-old man and a 21-year-old student.
Professor Adib Rizvi, Founding Director of SIUT, along with members of the transplant team, paid tribute to the family’s courage and humanitarian spirit. He urged the public to support deceased organ donation so that more patients suffering from blindness and other life-threatening conditions can be helped through such noble acts.
