A remarkable medical achievement occurred at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) where a team of doctors successfully re-implanted a man's amputated hand through an extensive 11-hour surgical procedure.
The patient, a 35-year-old man identified as BK, had suffered the injury during a domestic altercation on August 8th in Sigowet, Kericho County.
After the incident, he was transferred from Sigowet Sub-county Hospital to MTRH for specialized care.
The patient arrived at MTRH with his severed left hand preserved in a refrigerated container. Dr. Wilson Aruasa, the Chief Executive of MTRH, stated that the re-implantation procedure began at 4 p.m. and concluded at 3 a.m.
The complex surgical procedure was undertaken by two collaborative surgical teams and guided by the leadership of Dr. Paul Mwangi, a consultant in orthopedics and trauma at MTRH.
Read More
The team of skilled professionals included Dr. Harsh Vadgama, a specialist in shoulder surgery, Dr. Brian Christie and Dr. Andrew Vernadi, both plastic surgeons, as well as Dr. Gregory Wekesa, an orthopedics and trauma resident.
The surgery involved meticulously re-establishing the severed hand, and the patient's condition was reported to be post-operatively stable.
The patient's progress was positive, and he was moved from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to the general orthopaedics (male) ward on August 13. In this ward, he would continue with regular reviews and the initiation of occupational therapy rehabilitation.
The hand's successful reattachment was confirmed through Doppler ultrasound findings.
“The patient is doing well post-operatively. Today August 13, he was moved from ICU to the general orthopaedics (male) ward where he will continue with daily reviews or initiation of occupational therapy rehabilitation,” said Dr Aruasa.
“The hand is vitally and successfully re-established with good Doppler ultrasound findings.”
Dr. Aruasa also highlighted the significance of the surgery in the context of the availability of hand specialist surgeons in Kenya.
He noted that the country had three hand specialist surgeons in Nairobi, Nakuru, and MTRH.
Furthermore, he mentioned that MTRH played a vital role in supporting Dr. Paul Mwangi's specialized hand surgery training at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2015/16.
As part of their commitment to the patient's well-being, MTRH announced their intention to assist the patient in becoming a member of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), ensuring his access to medical coverage for any future healthcare needs.
