Recent Media
A Conversation with Dr. Hasan Khaja, Consultant of Neurosurgery
By the bazaar staff
From a young age, Dr. Hasan Khaja knew he wanted to do more than just follow the crowd. While other children dressed up as pilots and police officers, he had something different in mind. “I told my teacher I wanted to be a neurologist,” he recalls. “Even though at the time, in the ‘70s, it was such an unfamiliar word in Kuwait.”
That quiet ambition turned into a lifelong mission. Today, Dr. Khaja is one of Kuwait’s leading neurosurgeons. His story is a mix of academic excellence, national pride, and a deep sense of humanitarian responsibility.
As the youngest in his family, Dr. Khaja grew up with strong values of kindness and service. His love for science and his desire to help others guided him towards medicine. “When I got the highest grades in the College of Medicine,” he says, “His Highness Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah honored me with the Gold Star Medal. That meant so much to me.” But for Dr. Khaja, studying medicine wasn’t just about personal achievement. It was about filling a gap. “There just weren’t enough specialists in neurosurgery here,” he explains. “I felt it was a national and humanitarian duty to pursue this field and bring that expertise back to Kuwait.”
In 1999, Dr. Khaja was accepted into the prestigious neurosurgery program at Uppsala University in Sweden—an elite program that accepted just one student per year. He spent five intensive years specializing in cranial and spinal surgery. There, he trained in cutting-edge techniques in trauma care and emergency transport, which he later helped integrate into Kuwait’s healthcare system.
Dr. Khaja’s work isn’t just in the operating room. He’s also passionate about public education, especially when it comes to head injuries in children and the elderly. “Head trauma in these two age groups is especially dangerous,” he explains. “Because of the way the brain adapts in young children and older adults, symptoms don’t always show immediately. A child might hit their head, seem fine, and go to sleep—only to fall into a coma hours later.” He urges both families and physicians to take every head injury seriously. “Even if the child or elderly person seems fine—smiling, laughing—it’s better to run a CT scan. It could save a life.” Classic signs that require immediate attention include bruising around the eyes (known as “raccoon eyes”), bleeding from the ear, or dizziness, vomiting, and severe headaches. In many cases, early scans and quick intervention prevent long-term brain damage or death.
As a consultant neurosurgeon, Dr. Khaja sees hundreds of patients suffering from neck and back pain. He says the majority—up to 90%—are due to muscle strain, often caused by bad posture, poor sleep habits, or spending too much time on devices.
But he cautions against dismissing more serious causes like herniated discs, nerve compression, or osteoarthritis. “We use MRIs and nerve conduction studies to determine whether a patient’s pain is muscular or neurological,” he says. “A herniated disc can cause numbness, weakness, or even loss of function in the hands or legs.”
In more serious cases, surgery may be the only option. “Pain we can manage,” he says, “but if there’s weakness or signs of nerve damage, we act quickly. Delaying surgery can result in irreversible damage to the spinal cord or nerves.”
Another condition Dr. Khaja frequently diagnoses is carpal tunnel syndrome—often mistaken for neck-related issues. “It’s important to distinguish between pain coming from a pinched nerve in the neck versus compression in the wrist,” he explains. “That’s why proper testing is essential.”
Similarly, sciatica—a common complaint—can have multiple causes, ranging from disc problems to muscle spasms or spinal instability. “Each case is different, so diagnosis must be thorough,” he emphasizes.
Dr. Khaja also reminds us of the brain’s incredible complexity and how even small injuries can affect everything from speech to movement to sensory perception.
“The brain is the master control center,” he says. “There’s a specific region for language, for balance, even for sensing temperature or pressure. That’s why we can often diagnose certain neurological conditions just by observing how a patient walks or talks.”
In cases like facial paralysis or sudden weakness, early diagnosis is key. “Sometimes it’s just a pinched nerve. Sometimes it’s the sign of something much more serious.”
For aspiring doctors, Dr. Khaja has one piece of advice: follow your passion, not the prestige. “Many people told me to choose an easier or more popular specialty, but I chose what I knew Kuwait needed,” he says. “It’s not about being trendy—it’s about being useful.”
That principle has guided him through decades of service to his patients and his country. And he’s not stopping anytime soon.
Whether he’s performing intricate brain surgery, advocating for better trauma care, or educating the public through social media, Dr. Hasan Khaja is committed to a singular vision: putting knowledge to work for the good of others. And in a field where every second counts, his lifelong dedication is exactly what the world needs right now.
