Israel and Cyprus Complete Complex Cross-Border Kidney Transplant Chain Successfully
In a coordinated medical operation between Israel and Cyprus on August 5, 2026, three kidney donations involving two countries and a single flight culminated in a successful cross-border transplant chain. The procedure began early morning at Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva, Israel, with the removal of a kidney from a 50-year-old Israeli man intending to donate to his mother. Medical tests revealed incompatibility for direct transplantation. Simultaneously, in Nicosia, Cyprus, a 58-year-old woman underwent kidney removal to donate to her husband, but they too were incompatible.
At 9:00 AM, the kidney from Israel was flown to Cyprus in a specialized preservation container. An exchange of kidneys took place at Larnaca Airport between representatives of both countries. Meanwhile, surgeries continued in Israel, where a 57-year-old Israeli woman donated a kidney to her husband, but they were also incompatible. Her kidney was transplanted into the Israeli man’s mother, while the kidney flown from Cyprus was transplanted into the Cypriot husband. The kidney transported from Israel was implanted into the Cypriot recipient, completing a chain involving three donor-recipient pairs across two nations.
This complex operation was coordinated by the National Transplant Center of Israel, which has long managed a cross-donation program using computerized matching to find compatible donor-recipient pairs among incompatible couples. The collaboration with Cyprus, ongoing for several years, expands the pool of potential matches, improving transplant opportunities for patients in both countries.
Dr. Tamar Ashkenazi, director of the National Transplant Center, highlighted the unique personal and professional ties between Israel and Cyprus, calling the partnership "like family." She urged families of kidney patients not to give up if direct matches are not found, emphasizing that cross-donation programs can save lives and free patients from dialysis.
