KUWAIT CITY, Sept 16: A medical team at Zain Center, under Kuwait’s Ministry of Health, has successfully conducted four advanced surgeries to implant dual hypoglossal nerve stimulators for patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea. The operations mark the first of their kind in a government hospital in the Middle East, according to the health authority.

Dr. Mutlaq Al-Saihan, head of the surgical team and a consultant in ENT and head and neck surgery, said the procedures were performed on four Kuwaiti citizens between the ages of 50 and 80. All surgeries were fully successful, he confirmed.

The cutting-edge technology targets patients who suffer from airway obstruction due to relaxation of the tongue base or tongue muscles and who have been unable to tolerate conventional Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy.

Al-Saihan explained that the implant functions by stimulating the nerve responsible for tongue movement during sleep, thereby preventing airway collapse and maintaining a clear breathing pathway.

He highlighted that the success of the operations was the result of a multidisciplinary medical collaboration, involving respiratory specialists, ENT surgeons, maxillofacial surgeons, and dentists, to ensure accurate patient selection and consistent post-surgical monitoring.

Commenting on the development, Dr. Mohammad Al-Badr, consultant in respiratory and sleep disorders, said the new procedure presents an important alternative for patients unable to adapt to CPAP therapy. He noted that the innovation offers significant improvements in patients' quality of life.