KUWAIT CITY, Nov 27: Head of the organ transplantation department at the Hamed Al-Issa Center Dr. Saja Sorour says organ transplant services in the country have witnessed a qualitative shift and a major renaissance in recent years. In a special press statement issued yesterday, she said the Hamed Al-Issa Center has become the second largest center in the Middle East after Iran in terms of the number of kidney donations from brain-dead patients.

Dr. Surour explained that the number of kidney transplant operations in Kuwait this year increased by 19 percent over last year. The number of organ transplant operations from the beginning of the year until the end of November reached 119 operations, an increase of 19 operations over last year. These numbers are expected to increase to about 131 operations by the end of December 2023. The number of kidney transplant cases from living donors reached 67 cases or 56 percent. The number of kidney transplant cases from braindead donors reached 52 cases, or 44 percent, an increase of about 4 percent over last year.

Operations
The annual average of kidney transplant operations in the country from living and brain-dead donors is 100 cases, with an average of two operations per week. Thanks to the efforts of the doctors and those in charge of the center, kidney transplant operations have witnessed an unprecedented major shift and the number of cases has risen to three operations per week. Dr. Sorour confirmed that the Hamed Al-Issa Center is one of the most important organ transplant centers in the Gulf region and the Middle East, noting the basic and secondary services provided by the center, including the service of natural and artificial arteriovenous connections, and peritoneal dialysis connections for dialysis patients.

She revealed that the center has performed about 270 dialysis services from the beginning of the year until now, including 193 hemodialysis services and 77 peritoneal dialysis services. Dr. Sorour praised the specialized medical staff, particularly the surgeons, internal medicine doctors, pharmacists, and members of the nursing staff. She highlighted the effective presence of the Hamed Al-Issa Center in international forums and conferences by participating in working papers and many studies and research related to kidney diseases and surgeries, which places it among the ranks of global centers for kidney transplantation.

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