First Liver Transplant Center Opens in Sulaymaniyah City

When the liver reaches a stage of disease that cannot be treated by any means, then a transplant becomes necessary.

Until 2024, to perform this surgery, patients needed to travel abroad for treatment. However, now a liver transplant center has been opened in Sulaymaniyah city, which becomes the first center at the level of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. The center announced the success of the first liver transplant surgery in a ceremony.

This center consists of a foreign team (Iranian) and a national team comprising Dr. Qalandar, who is the head of the team, Dr. Fadil, Dr. Karzan, and Dr. Heja. It is in the center's plan that in the future the team will become entirely national, and the center will be utilized as a training center to educate other domestic doctors in performing this surgery.

Undoubtedly, the center provides a great service to patients by reducing the cost of surgery. If performed abroad, it would cost approximately $80,000-$100,000, while at the Sulaymaniyah center it currently costs approximately $35,000-$40,000. Additionally, better communication is established between patient and doctor, and one of the most important aspects is that patients can be easily followed up by the surgeon.