Surgeons at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) have successfully conducted the world’s first Transhumeral Targeted Sensory Reinnervation (TSR) surgery, a one-of-a-kind surgery that took 8 hours.
In a statement, on May 6, 2025, KNH said the surgery was performed on a 22-year-old software engineering student, who had lost his left arm due to a traumatic injury.
“The surgery that lasted more than seven hours, led by a multidisciplinary team of surgeons, enabled Moses to feel sensation at the stump of his missing left hand for the first time since amputation,” read part of the statement.
TSR is an advanced technique that re-routes nerves from the amputated limb to the remaining skin, creating a sensory map that enables the brain to perceive touch, temperature, and pain from the missing limb.
KNH Performs First Transhumeral Surgery
Moses Mwendwa’s journey to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) began on January 12, 2025, when a fall on the stairs after a church service in Nairobi’s Ziwani area caused severe damage to his left hand.
Moses initially ignored the injury, but after a few days, he began experiencing excruciating pain and alarming discoloration. His condition worsened, prompting his mother to rush him to KNH on January 18, 2025.
Upon arrival doctors diagnosed Moses with compartment syndrome, a life-threatening condition in which rising internal pressure cuts off blood flow.
Emergency surgeries followed to save Moses’ life, starting with a six-hour debridement procedure which was conducted on January 19, 2025. Unfortunately, further complications emerged that caused him to undergo a 2.5-hour amputation of his left arm on January 24, 2025.
Turn of Events
However, it took a positive turn when he was invited to participate in KNH’s Transhumeral Targeted Sensory Reinnervation (TSR) camp in March 2025.
On April 29, 2025, Moses became the first person in the world to undergo the TSR procedure. The surgery was successful, allowing Moses to experience sensations in his missing arm for the first time since the amputation.
This milestone not only restored Moses’ sensation but also held promise for better prosthetic control and pain management for future amputees.
“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 Dr. Wabwire.
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Team Behind Historic TSR Surgery at KNH
The team behind the historic surgery includes Prof. Ferdinand Nang’ole (Consultant Plastic Surgeon, KNH/UoN), Dr. Benjamin Wabwire (Head of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, KNH) and Prof. Alexander Gardetto (Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Specialist, Italy).
They were supported by Dr. Dorsi Jowi, consultant plastic surgeon at KNH, Dr. Christine Nyabuto, chief resident in plastic surgery at UON, and Dr. Rachel Machiya, a resident orthopaedic surgeon also from UON.
Essential support was provided by the anaesthesia team led by Dr. John Mwanzia and Dr. Ruth Nyambura. The nursing team was headed by Mr. Erick Odongo, assisted by Ms. Mercy Chepkemoi and Ms. Esther Munga. In addition, Ms. Catherine Muthengi played a key role as the theatre sterile assistant.
“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.This achievement is not just a medical breakthrough it’s a restoration of dignity, function, and hope,” Dr. Wabwire said.
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About TSR
Transhumeral Targeted Sensory Reinnervation (TSR) is an innovative surgical technique designed to restore sensation in amputees, particularly those who have lost a limb above the elbow.
It involves rerouting nerves from the residual limb to the remaining skin, creating a “sensory map” that enables the brain to perceive touch, temperature, and pain as if originating from the amputated part of the limb.
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