Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has made global headlines by successfully performing the world’s first Transhumeral Targeted Sensory Reinnervation (TSR) surgery. The operation was done on Moses Mwendwa, a 22-year-old software engineering student, making him the first person in the world to undergo this advanced procedure.
The seven-hour surgery was led by a team of skilled doctors and allowed Moses to feel touch in the stump of his missing left arm for the first time since his amputation. Normally, amputees experience “phantom limb” sensations where they feel pain or itching in a part of the body that’s no longer there. This condition can be very painful and emotionally distressing.
TSR is a special type of surgery where nerves from the amputated limb are reconnected to the remaining skin. This creates a “sensory map” that helps the brain feel sensations like touch, pain, or temperature in the missing limb making it feel real again.
On January 12, 2025, Moses slipped and fell after a church service in Nairobi’s Ziwani area. What started as a minor injury turned serious. Days later, he was in severe pain, and doctors at KNH discovered he had compartment syndrome a life-threatening condition that cuts off blood flow in the body. His arm had to be amputated above the elbow on January 24 to save his life.
The emotional pain was hard for both Moses and his mother. But during a hospital checkup on March 14, doctors invited him to be part of a special TSR surgical camp that was happening between April 28 and May 2.
On April 29, Moses underwent the historic surgery and became the first person to feel sensation in his phantom arm thanks to TSR. The success not only brought him comfort but also opened the door to better control of artificial (prosthetic) limbs and less pain.
The Team Behind the Breakthrough
The surgery was led by top doctors including:
- Prof. Ferdinand Nang’ole
- Dr. Benjamin Wabwire
- Prof. Alexander Gardetto who was visiting from Italy
They were supported by several other surgeons, anaesthetists, and nurses from KNH and the University of Nairobi.
Dr. Wabwire said this surgery is more than just a medical win it’s about giving back hope, feeling, and function to amputees. Now, seven patients have already benefited from the TSR camp, and KNH plans to do more of these operations in the future to help people across Africa.
KNH CEO Dr. Evanson Kamuri praised the team, saying this shows Kenya has world-class doctors and technology.
On his part Mose said ”Feeling my missing hand again after thinking it was gone forever—that’s not just medicine, that’s magic.”
