Kenyatta National Hospital performs rare nerve reconstruction surgeries in Kenya

Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) performed two rare nerve reconstruction surgeries on a four-year-old boy and a 43-year-old man in Kenya.

Professor Alexander Gardetto, an Italian plastic and reconstructive surgeon, led the procedures on October 29 and 30, 2026. The surgeries utilized Targeted Sensory Reinnervation (TSR), a technique that redirects sensory nerves to help people with amputations regain sensations when using prosthetic limbs.

The first patient, a boy named Jeremy from Kirinyaga County, underwent a five and a half hour procedure after losing his left hand in a chaff-cutter accident. KNH says Jeremy is the youngest person in the world to receive this specific surgery. The second patient, Charles Mogire, a painter from Ngong, underwent a five hour procedure after losing both arms in an electrical accident.

His surgery was a transhumeral variant of the procedure, which is designed for those with above-elbow amputations to help manage phantom limb sensations and painful nerve growths. KNH officials stated that these surgeries demonstrate that Kenya can perform complex medical procedures locally by investing in specialist skills and international partnerships. The hospital says the initiative is currently in its second year and relies on mentorship from Professor Gardetto. Both patients have been discharged and are recovering at home.