KNH Makes Medical History with World’s First Transhumeral TSR Surgery: "It's Magic"
- Kenyatta National Hospital successfully performed the world’s first Transhumeral Targeted Sensory Reinnervation (TSR) surgery on a 22-year-old amputee
- The groundbreaking procedure restored sensation to the stump of Moses Mwenda’s missing arm, offering hope for improved prosthetic control and pain relief
- The surgery marks a major milestone in African medical innovation, positioning KNH as a global leader in advanced reconstructive surgery
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Nancy Odindo, a TUKO.co.ke journalist, has over four years of experience covering Kenyan politics, news, and features for digital and print media.
Nairobi: Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has made a groundbreaking leap in medical innovation after successfully performing the world’s first Transhumeral Targeted Sensory Reinnervation (TSR) surgery.
Source: Twitter
The historic operation was conducted on Moses Mwenda, a 22-year-old software engineering student, who became the first person globally to undergo the advanced nerve rerouting procedure.
The complex surgery, conducted on April 29, 2025, during KNH’s TSR Surgical Camp, lasted over seven hours and marked a turning point in the treatment of amputees.
What is the importance of Transhumeral TSR surgery?
The TSR procedure allows rerouted nerves from an amputated limb to connect with healthy skin, enabling the brain to sense touch, temperature, and pain from the missing limb, essentially restoring sensory feedback.
Mwenda, who lost his left arm above the elbow due to compartment syndrome following a fall on stairs on January 12, had suffered both psychological trauma and physical loss.
His case changed when KNH invited him to join the TSR surgical camp between April 28 and May 2, offering him a chance to reclaim sensation in his phantom limb.
“Feeling my missing hand again after believing it was gone forever — that’s not just medicine, that’s magic,” he said.
Source: Twitter
Led by a multidisciplinary team including Professor Ferdinand Nang’ole, Dr Benjamin Wabwire, and Professor Alexander Gardetto from Italy, the surgery was hailed as a medical first.
Immediate success was reported, with Mwenda regaining sensation in the stump of his missing arm, promising not just physical restoration but improved prosthetic control and pain management.
“This isn’t just surgical innovation — it’s the restoration of dignity, function, and hope for people who thought such sensations were lost forever,” said Wabwire.
"By creating this neural hand map, we're not just restoring sensation — we're enabling better prosthetic control and pain management, fundamentally changing what's possible for amputees through plastic and reconstructive surgery," he added.
The TSR surgical camp served seven beneficiaries and marked a watershed moment for African medicine.
KNH now plans to institutionalise such camps, expanding neural rehabilitation to more amputees across the continent.
KNH CEO Dr. Evanson Kamuri praised the surgical team’s milestone, reaffirming the hospital’s position as a global leader in innovation.
“This achievement proves that world-class surgical care can thrive in Kenya.”
Director of Surgical Services Dr Kennedy Ondede and Head of Specialised Surgeries Dr Joel Lessan echoed the hospital’s pride, noting that the TSR camp is just the beginning of a new frontier in reconstructive surgery.
Family elated after finding missing kin at KNH
In other news, a family in Garissa was elated after locating their son, Abdikadir Mohammed Abdi, who went missing in December 2024.
Abdi, a former police officer, was traced after KNH shared a missing persons alert on social media on Friday, May 2, noting he had been admitted for some time.
His brother revealed that Abdikadir had left home nearly five months ago after struggling in rehabilitation, eventually making his way to Nairobi.
Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
