Twenty-six years ago today, the University Clinical Center Tuzla successfully performed its first kidney transplant.
This milestone was preceded by extensive preparations, during which all necessary technical, technological, and professional conditions were ensured. The project was realized in cooperation with transplant specialists from the AKH in Vienna, Austria, with the invaluable support of Prof. Dr. Ferdinand Müllbacher.
The first four kidney transplants, carried out within the initial phase of the program, marked the culmination of years of effort, professional training in Europe and the United States, and the acquisition of modern medical equipment.
The success of such a complex medical undertaking is never the achievement of an individual but rather the result of dedicated teamwork. A total of 12 clinics and institutes of the University Clinical Center Tuzla participated in bringing this project to life.
The leaders who made this success possible included:
– Prof. Dr. Senaid Trnačević– Coordinator of the transplant program project
– Prim. Dr. Huzeir Duraković– Medical Director of UKC Tuzla
– Prof. Dr. Hajrija Selesković– Head of the Internal Clinic
– Prof. Dr. Ahmet Halilbašić– Dean of the Faculty of Medicine in Tuzla and Head of the Clinic for Nephrology, Dialysis and Kidney Transplantation
– Assoc. Dr. Enisa Mešić– Dialysis
– Prof. Dr. Jasenko Karamehić– Pharmacology
– Dr. Neven Živković– Nuclear Medicine
– Prim. Dr. Slavica Mott-Divković– Head of the Transfusion Department
– Prof. Dr. Mirsada Hukić– Head of the Microbiology Department
– Prim. Dr. Senada Sarihodži – Head of the Radiology Department
– Medical Biochemistry Specialists: Nada Skokić and Mirjana Uzeirbegović
– Prim. Dr. Elmir Ćičkušić– Head of the Pathology Department
– Mr. ph. Katica Mišić– Head of the Medical Supply Service
The surgical teams were composed of Prim. Dr. Huzeir Duraković, Dr. Hasan Prašo, Dr. Zoran Manojlović, and vascular surgeon Dr. Muniba Softić.
The anesthesiology team, led by Prim. Dr. Mirsad Prašo, included Dr. Mirsad Babović, Dr. Haris Hadžagić, Dr. Halid Mahmutović, and Dr. Semir Imamović.
Today, 26 years later, this anniversary is not only a remembrance of one historic day, but also a confirmation of the lasting commitment of the University Clinical Center Tuzla to excellence, innovation, and above all, to improving the quality of human lives.
According to the Director of the University Clinical Center Tuzla, Prof. Dr. Šekib Umihanić, September 15, 1999, is forever inscribed in golden letters in the history of this institution. That day was not only a triumph of medicine, but also proof of the unwavering faith, extraordinary dedication, and exceptional expertise of all employees at the University Clinical Center Tuzla. “Today I want to tell our team that our mission is not finished. What we began 26 years ago must continue to grow and become stronger. Our vision, as our predecessors imagined it, cannot stop at kidney transplantation. We must continue preparations for liver, heart, and lung transplantation. To achieve this, it is crucial to establish an organ bank and to promote cadaveric donation even more vigorously. This is our next great step, our moral and professional imperative,” emphasized Director Umihanić.
