i write this article to praise not only the efforts and creativity of dr. saad al-dosari, director of sabah al-ahmad kidney and urology center, but also all doctors who are similar to him in character, experience, and understanding. my testimony regarding him is biased, as he is the doctor who takes care of my health at the center. however, what is due must be mentioned.
dr. al-dosari and his medical team achieved the first-of-its-kind accomplishment in kuwait and the region. they successfully performed 10 telesurgeries using the latest surgical robotic technology and advanced medical communication, establishing kuwait as a prominent figure on the map of global medical development.
this project began in december 2024, when the first remote surgery in the middle east was performed. dr. al-dosari carried out the operation in shanghai, china – 7,000 kilometers away from kuwait – while the patient was lying in the operating room at sabah al-ahmad center. using direct link technologies and an advanced surgical robot, he successfully completed the operation. this achievement marked a turning point in the future of surgical procedures in the country and the region.
more successes followed, as the same medical team performed seven additional remote surgeries in april and june 2025 from shanghai, averaging one major surgical case per day. all were successful. this step not only demonstrated the country’s high medical competence, but also highlighted its advanced digital infrastructure and healthcare workforce.
the medical team published the results of these eight surgeries in peer-reviewed medical journals. this recognition qualified them to attend the annual conference of the international society of robotic surgeons, held in strasbourg, france. during the conference, which they attended alongside the minister of health dr. ahmed al-awadhi and his delegation, dr. al-dosari performed two more remote surgeries on patients in kuwait. these surgeries were broadcasted live to more than 2,500 attendees, including senior physicians, in the conference halls.
this brought the total number of robotic surgeries performed by the kuwaiti team to 10. it is a record in the history of kuwait’s healthcare sector and an important achievement globally, especially since the surgeries were conducted across two different countries and continents — china and france.
in recognition of this great achievement, dr. al-dosari received well-deserved congratulations from higher authorities, who commended his efforts, his medical team, and all kuwaiti healthcare professionals. they considered this accomplishment evidence of what kuwaiti competencies can achieve when will and technology come together.
for your information, remote surgery is a medical revolution in modern surgical practice. it enables surgical expertise to reach remote areas or facilities lacking highly specialized knowledge, while reducing response time in emergency cases. it allows collaboration with international centers to perform complex robotic surgeries, eliminating the need to send patients abroad or invite foreign doctors into the country. moreover, it plays a vital role in enhancing the efficiency of medical training and education by allowing operations to be monitored remotely.
this national achievement is a model worthy of emulation in the use of modern technology to better serve humanity. it places kuwait among the leading countries in remote robotic surgery and paves the way for further developments in the healthcare sector.