Milestone as MTRH performs first Laparoscopic Surgery to a 4-year old

Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) at Shoe4Africa Children’s Hospital performed the first laparoscopic surgery.

The Hospital said the Laparoscopic Surgery was done this week on a 4-year-old boy with an undescended testis.

The Hospital described it as a milestone in pediatric surgical care at the Institution.

Laparoscopic surgery is also known as minimally invasive surgery or keyhole surgery.

It involves performing operations through small incisions rather than the larger cuts used in traditional surgery. 

A laparoscope, a thin, telescopic instrument with a camera, is inserted through a small incision to visualise the abdominal cavity. 

This allows surgeons to perform procedures with less trauma, leading to smaller scars, shorter hospital stays, and faster recovery times. 

The procedure was done using minimally invasive techniques; the surgical team completed a first-stage laparoscopic orchidopexy.

What would have required a large abdominal incision was instead completed through a single 5mm port and two 3mm instrument sites.

According to the MTRH, the child was awake and ready for discharge shortly after the operation.

This was made possible through the leadership and support of the institution's CEO, Philip Kirwa and Head of Pediatric Surgery Department Peter Saula.

"As we look ahead, we hope to build on this foundation to increase access to minimally invasive surgery for children in our region," Kirwa affirmed.

MTRH said both doctors have been strong advocates for expanding access to laparoscopic care.

“We are especially grateful to the anaesthesia, nursing, biomedical, supply chain, and cleaning teams who all contributed to making this surgery successful,” MTRH said in a statement on X.

The operating theatre team was led by the Nurse Manager, Herbert Oloo, who ensured seamless planning and coordination during the surgery.

Conditions best suited for laparoscopic surgeries include cyst, fibroid, stone and polyp removals, small tumor removals, biopsies, tubal ligation and reversal, ectopic pregnancy removal, endometriosis surgery and urethral and vaginal reconstruction surgery among others.