KNH Makes History After Performing New Type of Surgery

Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has made history by successfully performing the world’s first Transhumeral Targeted Sensory Reinnervation (TSR) surgery. 

In a statement on Tuesday, May 6, KNH said the procedure was carried out on 22-year-old Moses Mwendwa, who had lost his left arm following a severe case of compartment syndrome resulting from a fall. 

The surgery, which lasted seven hours, has restored the sensation in Mwendwa's missing arm.

"We have performed the World’s First Transhumeral Targeted Sensory Reinnervation (TSR) surgery on Moses Mwendwa, 22, restoring sensation in his missing left hand! This groundbreaking 7-hour procedure reroutes nerves to create a 'sensory map,' enabling touch perception and better prosthetic control.

"Moses lost his arm due to compartment syndrome after a fall on the stairs in January, but regained hope at KNH’s pioneering TSR Camp, Africa’s first. Led by Prof. Nang’ole & Dr. Wabwire the team proved Kenya’s surgical excellence," the statement read.

TSR is an advanced surgical technique designed to restore a sense of touch to individuals who have undergone above-elbow amputations. 

The procedure involves rerouting residual sensory nerves from the amputated limb to specific areas of skin on the residual limb. 

By doing so, when the re-innervated skin areas are stimulated, the brain perceives the sensation as originating from the missing limb, creating a sensation that aligns with the original limb's sensory map.

In October 2020, KNH also made headlines after surgeons successfully reattached the severed right hand of a seven-year-old boy. 

The boy, Benevolence Iticha, was assisting his father on their farm in Kiambu County when the chaff cutter, used for chopping animal feed, malfunctioned and severed his hand at the wrist. 

His mother, Lydia Wanjiru, wrapped the severed limb in a headscarf, placed it in a shopping bag, and rushed Iticha to Nazareth Hospital.

At the facility, the hand was preserved in a cool box before being referred to KNH for emergency surgery.

At KNH, a multidisciplinary team led by Wabwire undertook the complex procedure that lasted approximately 10 hours.

The procedure involved meticulous work to identify and align blood vessels, nerves, tendons, and bones.