Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) has performed its inaugural Cochlear Implant Surgery.
This makes it, the first public hospital to undertake the specialist surgery in East & Central African region.
The surgery, which took 2 hours, was on a young lady who was diagnosed with post -lingual sensorineurial hearing loss.
The effects of a prelingual hearing loss are usually much more significant than a postlingual hearing loss. The challenge faced by a young child with a prelingual hearing loss is to develop normal spoken language skills.
The team included Dr. Menach Owen, an ENT/ Otolaryngologist at MTRH, and Professor Badr Eldin Mostafa from Ain Shams University, Egypt assisted by Dr. Rotich Gerald, Scrub Nurses Francis Koskei and Fridah Kotut, and Audiologist Angela Kiragu.
The Anesthesia team was led by Dr. Kimani Mbugua, Dr. Solomon Mwau and Mr. Henry Kemei.
Cochlear implant surgery is a procedure that helps individuals with severe hearing loss regain their ability to hear thereby improving quality of life.
The surgery is typically performed under general anesthesia, and a small incision is made behind the ear to access the Cochlear.
This surgery can be performed on pre-lingual; children below three (3) years who have not developed hearing and speech and post-lingual; older children and adults who have developed hearing and speech but lost hearing.
Cochlear surgery will significantly improve the hearing and quality of life for people with severe hearing loss. After surgery these patients are able to contribute their full potential towards the Society.
The news shared via the Hospital’s official twitter page gathered multiple congratulatory messages as captured below,
”Congrats to the team, we salute you Doctors & team”
”Congratulations to the Team and the entire MTRH fraternity. Such stories invoke inspiration.”
