Kenya becomes second African nation to conduct rare heart procedure
The procedure was conducted on a 68-year-old man who had suffered a heart attack three weeks earlier.
Kenya has recorded a new medical milestone after doctors in Nairobi carried out one of the rarest heart procedures on the continent.
The surgery, called Intravascular Lithotripsy (IVL), was performed at The Nairobi West Hospital, making Kenya the second African nation after South Africa to complete the operation.
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The procedure was conducted on a 68-year-old man who had suffered a heart attack three weeks earlier.
Tests showed he had multiple calcified blockages in his coronary arteries. Such blockages make arteries extremely rigid, limiting blood flow and leaving patients with very few treatment options.
Ordinary angioplasty balloons are often unsuitable in such cases because the arteries are too narrow, and attempting to force them open carries a risk of tearing the vessel.
In most situations, doctors refer patients for open-heart bypass surgery. But in this case, that was ruled out.
"The vessels were unsuitable in this patient's case, so bypass surgery was not possible. We had very few options because the patient was also reluctant to have major surgery, explained Dr Vijaysinh Patil, the interventional cardiologist who led the operation.
IVL, however, provided a solution. The treatment involves inserting a balloon catheter into the artery, which then emits controlled sound waves.
These waves break hardened calcium deposits in the artery wall without damaging surrounding tissue.
Once the artery becomes flexible, doctors are able to safely place stents to restore blood circulation.
"The technology enables us to break down the calcium without damaging the artery's healthy sections. It allows us to safely treat patients who would otherwise have no choice but to undergo risky surgery,” Dr Patil said.
During the Nairobi procedure, pulses from the IVL balloon were used on two arteries that were completely blocked. Two stents were then implanted successfully. The patient recovered quickly and was discharged from the hospital the following day.
The achievement marks another step forward for Kenya in advanced heart care. Last year, doctors in the country performed their first Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI), a non-surgical procedure to replace a narrowed heart valve.
They also introduced renal artery denervation to assist patients with high blood pressure that does not respond to medicine.
Cardiology experts say these milestones show Kenya’s growing strength in minimally invasive techniques, which lower risks, shorten recovery time, and reduce the need for prolonged hospitalisation compared to traditional surgery.
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