2025, February 7
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UMC Performs 100th Donor Heart Transplant in Kazakhstan
2025, February 7
Share this articleOn the night of February 4, 2025, the University Medical Center’s (UMC) medical team successfully performed Kazakhstan’s 100th donor heart transplant.
UMC is the country’s leading medical center and the clinical base of Nazarbayev University, where advanced technologies are integrated with the academic training of future doctors. The donor, a 62-year-old man from the North Kazakhstan region, was declared brain dead following a stroke. The recipient, a 54-year-old resident of Almaty, had been awaiting surgery while relying on a mechanical LVAD circulatory support implant—a device that acts as a "bridge to transplantation", allowing patients with end-stage heart failure to survive while waiting for a donor organ.
“After the device was implanted, the patient took the necessary medications, underwent regular examinations, and remained on the transplant waiting list for four years. The donor organ showed maximum compatibility with the recipient. We called him to share the news of the available heart,” said Nail Khissamutdinov, head of the LVAD service and cardiologist at the UMC Heart Center.
According to Assel Medressova, a cardiac surgeon at the UMC Heart Center, the air ambulance was forced to land in Karaganda due to heavy fog. Despite the challenge, the medical team remained calm and, with a police escort, successfully transported the organ to the clinic in Astana on time. The transplantation was successful, thanks to the well-coordinated teamwork of medical centers, coordinators, air ambulance crews, transplant surgeons, and everyone involved in the process. The recipient is now recovering and undergoing rehabilitation at the clinic.
Kazakhstan’s first donor heart transplant was performed at the UMC Heart Center on August 8, 2012, under the leadership of the clinic’s founder, Yuriy Pya, and Czech cardiac surgeon Jan Pirk. This milestone marked the beginning of posthumous organ donation in the country, shifting public perception and awareness. The first-ever heart transplant recipient continues to live a healthy and active life with his family.
UMC (University Medical Center) is accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI), widely regarded as the "gold standard" for medical institutions. The center is currently transitioning into an Academic Medical Center, aiming to bridge the gap between scientific discovery and its clinical application in disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
