Success of the 18th Heart Transplant in Kuwait

In a new medical milestone, the Ministry of Health announced the successful completion of Kuwait’s 18th heart transplant, performed on an 18-year-old patient at the Salman Al-Abdullah Heart Center. The ministry stated that the patient had been suffering from a congenital heart defect that led to advanced heart muscle failure, causing severe symptoms that significantly impacted his daily life, necessitating a heart transplant. Following the availability of a donated heart and after completing medical evaluations to confirm its compatibility with the patient, the surgery was carried out at the center.

Dr. Badr Al-Ayyad, Head of the Cardiology Department and Head of the Heart Failure and Transplant Unit at the Salman Al-Abdullah Heart Center, said the success of the procedure was due to the integrated efforts of medical and specialized teams, noting that it represents an important step in consolidating the heart transplant program and providing advanced treatment options for patients with advanced heart failure.

The surgery was performed by Dr. Abdullah Al-Hadab and Dr. Mohammed Al-Ayyar, with participation from Dr. Khaled Al-Otaibi from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, while Dr. Al-Ayyad supervised the medical and immunological aspects. Dr. Al-Ayyad praised the role of the organ procurement team, led by Dr. Sajee Serour, emphasizing that coordination among the organ procurement, heart transplant, surgical, anesthesia, and intensive care teams, along with nursing and technical staff, forms the foundation for the success of these highly precise procedures, which require seamless integration across all stages of care.

He expressed his gratitude to the donor and his family for their noble humanitarian contribution, noting that organ donation gives hope to patients on waiting lists.