The Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret has made history again after successfully performing Kenya’s first-ever Renal Artery Bypass Surgery.
A 20-year-old female patient who underwent the complex procedure is recovering at home after being discharged from the hospital.
The surgery was done on June 24, 2025, by the hospital's Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery team led by Dr. Stephen Takow.
CEO Dr Phillip Kirwa says the patient, a 20-year-old female, was diagnosed with renovascular hypertension, caused by severe narrowing of the arteries supplying blood to her kidneys.
After determining that less invasive options like angioplasty and stenting were not suitable, the surgical team opted for the bypass procedure.
“The groundbreaking surgery went in very well. It was successful and she is recuperating well and has been discharged," said Dr Kirwa.
The surgery involves grafting a blood vessel—either from the patient or a synthetic graft—to bypass the blocked renal artery, thereby restoring normal blood flow to the kidneys.
Dr Kirwa says the historic milestone highlights MTRH’s commitment to advancing specialised care and surgical innovation in Kenya and beyond.
Under Dr Kirwa, the hospital has lately achieved milestones in healthcare with several achievements in specialised care.
Last week, the hospital made yet another medical milestone after carrying out its first 7 surgeries to treat and handle heart attacks.
During last week’s achievement, Dr Kirwa said the hospital hosted a medical camp where its cardiologists and other experts carried out minimally invasive procedures using modern technology to treat coronary diseases in patients.
The beneficiary patients had been exposed to the risk of getting heart attacks because of the narrowing of blood vessels that lead to the heart.
Dr Kirwa said Patients with the problem usually present symptoms like pains in the chest, mainly on the left side, and left arm and also on the left shoulder.
“This is a common problem and many patients are sedentary with hypertension, diabetes, obesity and hypertension cases which are increasing”, Dr Kirwa had said.
He said that by having such procedures done at MTRH, it would save the lives of many people from the risk of heart attacks.
“When a patient gets a heart attack, it takes a very short time to death, and intervention has to be done within two hours and having this service here is key to the people of this region," said Kirwa.
He said the machine and equipment used for the procedure were bought by the Ministry of Health and installed early this year.
“This is part of the intervention by the government to save patients from heart attacks. This is the first time in Western Kenya”, said Kirwa.
Dr Kirwa said the procedure is fully covered by SHA and thanked the government and President William Ruto for ensuring SHA works effectively.
“That’s why we urge Kenyans to register with SHA, which covers most of the many complex procedures we undertake at MTRH”, said Kirwa.
He said the hospital was operating effectively and helping many Kenyans thanks to the continued government support.
