Mbagathi Hospital restores man’s arm in rare surgery
By Print Reporter, August 6, 2024When Bernard Sigei left his home for work early one morning, he did not expect that his life would take a drastic turn.
He was robbed in an attack that nearly left him dead.
Were it not for science and advances in health technologies in Kenya, Sigei would probably be talking about how he is learning to live as a disabled person.
On that fateful day, as the sun rose, Sigei left his home hoping to earn some money in Nairobi’s Industrial Area, where he worked mostly as a casual labourer at a factory.
“While heading to work, robbers came from nowhere and attacked me with a machete. They left me for dead and were it not for Good Samaritans, I would have died there,” he says.
Sigei was rushed to a health facility before he was referred to Mbagathi Hospital, where he would receive specialised treatment.
He says he had plastic surgery that restored his arm.
“That surgery restored the functionality of my hand and I’m now able to use it,” he reveals.
The patient arrived at the hospital with a severed hand and the injury showed that bones, nerves, blood vessels and muscle tendons had been damaged, said Mbagathi Hospital CEO Alexander Irungu.
With such injuries, Sigei could have lost his arm.
At the Level Five facility, doctors directed that Sigei undergo a CT scan to determine the level of his injuries and how to treat the patient.
He was examined with the aid of a newly installed CT scan and after consultations, doctors concluded that he could undergo reconstructive plastic surgery.
The procedure only took four hours and the patient has been recuperating well, as he has started using the affected hand, said Mohamed Athman, an orthopaedic surgeon who took part in the surgery.
“If the patient had not come for treatment in time, he would have ended up having his arm cut off leading to a disability, because such injuries require immediate attention,” says Athman.
The surgery, which involved repairing fractured bones and tendons, was a success, and the patient regained the use of his arm.
The surgery, the first of its kind in Nairobi County, underscored Mbagathi’s dedication to advancing medical care and providing top-notch healthcare services to the community.
With this successful procedure, Kenya solidifies its status as a country where hospitals use advanced technologies in healthcare.
Earlier this year, Mbagathi performed its first micro facial surgery, a delicate procedure that required highly skilled surgeons to repair facial injuries.
Hip replacement
In December 2023, the hospital conducted Kenya’s first cement-less total hip replacement surgery, a significant milestone in orthopaedic operations.
The procedure, ideal for younger patients with good bone density, uses a ceramic hip in an un-cemented replacement, offering smoother, more durable, and scratch-resistant results.
Mbagathi is not the only facility in Kenya using cutting-edge technology in surgery. In February, Kenyatta National Hospital conducted the first laparoscopic kidney transplant in Kenya.
The surgery took only three hours and was conducted by a team of doctors led by urologists Paul Njogu and Charles Waihenya.
The procedure was conducted on Dickson Njorogeyson, who received the kidney from his cousin Dickson Ndekei after he was diagnosed with chronic kidney failure last year.
During the procedure, tiny incisions were used and the kidney removed using a scope or camera and special miniaturised surgical instruments.