(Jaber Hospital) Performs Kuwait's first laparoscopic biliary drainage surgery without open operation

Kuwait City, 30 September (KUNA) – The Ministry of Health announced on Wednesday the success of a medical team from the Gastroenterology Unit at Jabir Al-Ahmad Hospital in performing the first procedure of its kind in Kuwait: endoscopic drainage of bile through the stomach without surgical intervention for a Kuwaiti national. The operation was successful, and the patient was discharged from the hospital without complications.

In a press statement, the ministry said the team used a technique to create a connection between the bile ducts inside the liver and the stomach, guided by endoscopic ultrasound, to drain bile and pave the way for the patient to begin chemotherapy. It explained that the procedure was necessary after conventional methods, including endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and interventional radiology, failed to bypass a malignant obstruction in the bile ducts.

The ministry added that the procedure was carried out by a comprehensive medical team led by Dr. Yousef Al-Shammari, consultant of gastroenterology and advanced therapeutic endoscopy, and included gastroenterologists, nursing staff, and support from anesthesiologists and hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgeons.

It emphasized that this achievement reflects the advancement of specialized medical services in Kuwait, as well as the competence and capability of national cadres to perform precise and complex interventions within the country. (End) M.N.M. / M.A.A.