- The surgery which took three hours was conducted by a team of doctors led by respected urologists Dr Paul Njogu and Dr Charles Waihenya
- The procedure was conducted on Dickson Njorogeyson who received the kidney from his cousin Dickson Ndekei Wanjiru
Image: FILE
Doctors at Kenyatta National Hospital have conducted the first-ever laparoscopic kidney transplant.
The surgery which took three hours was conducted by a team of doctors led by respected urologists Dr Paul Njogu and Dr Charles Waihenya.
The procedure was conducted on Dickson Njorogeyson who received the kidney from his cousin Dickson Ndekei Wanjiru.
Njorogeyson, the recipient was diagnosed with chronic kidney failure last year.
During the procedure, tiny incisions are used and the kidney is removed using a scope or camera and special miniaturized surgical instruments.
Traditionally, this type of surgery required the donor, to undergo a major operation where the kidney was removed through an incision in the side using a large incision.
According to medics, this procedure has a shorter recovery period with a very low rate of complication compared to the traditional procedure.
"We are moving from the traditional open method to a far more advanced modern frontier," Dr Njogu said on Thursday.
"Thanks to technology we are able to use computer-guided laparoscopic instruments which make the process far safer for the donor and the recipient," he added.
Dr Njogu noted that the scar in the minimally invasive procedure is barely noticeable and therefore aesthetically appealing.
"It takes less time thereby reducing the turnaround time with better clinical outcomes," he added
In addition, the quality and function of the transplanted kidneys are excellent.
During the procedure, the kidney is freed using 4 ports and removed through an incision in the lower abdomen.
The transplant surgeon then immediately prepares the kidney and places it in the recipient.
Results (graft survival) have been comparable to kidneys removed via traditional open surgery.
In addition, patients are hospitalized approximately 3 days shorter and return to normal activity almost 3 weeks earlier.
KNH CEO Dr Evanson Kamuri said the Hospital was working towards improving the operational efficiency of its kidney transplant programme as it scales up its groundbreaking surgeries in the facility.
Dr Kamuri said such a procedure, scientifically known as donor nephrectomy laparoscopic surgeries, was possible with the availability of the hospital's tissue typing laboratory, the only one in the region.
“Our focus now is to increase the operational efficiency of our transplant program. This includes reducing our turnaround times," Kamuri said.
"The presence of our tissue typing lab is also a bonus for us. It only takes a few days to get tissue typing results at a less cost."