Nairobi's Kenyatta National Hospital says it performed Africa's first tubeless windpipe reconstruction

Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) says it has performed Africa's first tubeless tracheal reconstruction, a five-hour operation carried out on 24 September at its Prime Care Centre. The Star, Capital FM and Citizen Digital reported the hospital's account on 16 October.

The patient is Dennis Kaiser Omondi, 26, who had breathing difficulties for nearly 20 years. He was diagnosed with a benign adenoma, a non-cancerous growth in the windpipe, in 2008. Later tests found a narrowed trachea and an abnormal opening between the windpipe and the skin of the neck, known as a fistula.

The surgeons used a bronchoscope, a small camera passed into the airway, to find the diseased section. They removed the narrowed parts of the windpipe, closed the fistula and joined the healthy ends. Omondi breathed naturally throughout, which required close coordination between the surgical and anaesthesia teams.

In conventional procedures a breathing tube may have to sit in the airway. In the tubeless technique, KNH said, the tube is kept out of the surgical field, which gives the surgeons a better view and more precision. The hospital listed less injury to the lining of the windpipe, faster healing, a simpler operation and a shorter operating time as advantages.

The operation was led by Dr Joseph Mutie, a consultant cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon. He was joined by Dr Ruel Maina, an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist, and Dr Caroline Abuya, a consultant anaesthesiologist and intensivist, with theatre and nursing staff.

“The technique, the first in Africa, gives surgeons a clearer view of the affected windpipe,” Mutie said, as quoted by The Star. He also called it “an important step forward in the treatment of these conditions in Kenya”.

KNH Chief Executive Officer Dr Richard Lesiyampe said the milestone shows Kenyan professionals can deliver advanced treatment locally, which could reduce the need for patients to seek care abroad, according to The Star.

Omondi has been discharged and will attend follow-up appointments at the Prime Care Centre. He said he has noticed an improvement in his voice and has resumed his daily activities, “including running my retail shop in Kisumu”, as quoted by Capital FM. “I can now climb a flight of stairs with greater ease,” he said.