Health Ministry: Success of the 18th Heart Transplant in Kuwait

- The patient suffered from advanced heart muscle failure and severe symptoms that affected his daily life.

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-Dawas Heart Center. This achievement adds a new milestone to the national heart transplant program, reflecting the advancement of medical services and the capability of specialized teams to carry out complex surgeries.

The ministry stated that the patient had a congenital heart defect that led to advanced heart muscle failure and severe symptoms impacting his daily life, necessitating a heart transplant. After a donor heart became available and medical evaluations confirmed its suitability and compatibility with the patient, the surgery was performed at the center.

The heart transplant was carried out by Dr. Abdullah Al-Hadab and Dr. Mohammed Al-Ayyar, with the participation of Dr. Khaled Al-Otaibi from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Dr. Badr Al-Ayyad supervised the medical and immunological aspects of the procedure.

Dr. Al-Ayyad praised the crucial role of the organ procurement team, led by Dr. Sajja Sarour, emphasizing that coordination among the organ procurement, transplant, surgical, anesthesia, and intensive care teams, along with nursing and technical staff, forms the foundation for successfully executing these highly precise and integrated procedures across all stages of care.

Dr. Al-Ayyad expressed deep gratitude to the donor and his family for their noble humanitarian generosity, noting that organ donation offers hope to patients on waiting lists, and that continued development of the program and enhanced collaboration among various specialties contribute to expanding access to this vital service in the State of Kuwait.