KUWAIT CITY, Dec 29: The Ministry of Health announced the successful completion of two heart transplant surgeries at the Salman Al-Dabbous Cardiac Center, marking a milestone in Kuwait’s National Heart Transplant Program. With these procedures, the total number of heart transplants performed in Kuwait has reached 13 since the program’s inception. The operations, which were carried out on a 10-year-old child and a patient in their fifties, underscore the growing capabilities of the national healthcare system and highlight Kuwait’s ability to provide advanced cardiac transplant services. The ministry affirmed that these achievements significantly enhance the quality of life for patients with end-stage heart failure and represent a major step in the development of a comprehensive national organ transplant system. Dr. Riyad Tarazi, a consultant cardiac surgeon at the center, praised the accomplishment, noting that 2025 alone witnessed eight successful heart transplants, compared with one each in 2019, 2021, and 2023, and two in 2024. He highlighted the center’s continuous growth in clinical and technical expertise, achieved in coordination with the Organ Provision Program.

Dr. Tarazi explained that the center, in addition to transplants, has implanted 84 Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVAD) for patients with severe heart failure, acting as a pump to support the left ventricle until a donor heart becomes available or as a long-term treatment option. Teams also successfully implanted 20 IMPELLA 5.5 cardiac support devices to stabilize patients during acute circulatory collapse or complex interventions. He emphasized that this achievement reflects the rapid advancement of the heart transplant program in Kuwait. Dr. Tarazi said it offers a vital treatment option for patients with advanced heart failure, strengthens medical self-sufficiency, and confirms the national teams’ capability to perform complex, high-risk surgeries, adding that this milestone marks a strategic step toward establishing a comprehensive and robust national organ transplant system. The Ministry of Health continues to strengthen Kuwait’s national presence in heart and organ transplantation, highlighting the country’s steady progress toward advanced healthcare services supported by specialized medical teams, skilled professionals, and strategic investments in human capital and medical infrastructure.

By Marwa Al-Bahrawi Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff and Agencies