The Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, performed its inaugural Cochlear Implant Surgery.
This makes the Eldoret-based health facility the first public hospital to undertake specialist surgery in the East and Central African region.
An update on the MTRH social media pages indicates that the surgery, which took 2 hours, was on a young lady who was diagnosed with Post-lingual Sensorineural Hearing Loss.
“It went on successfully,” the hospital announced.
The team that conducted the historic procedure 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, as well as Audiologist Angela Kiragu.
In addition, the Anesthesia Team was led by Dr Kimani Mbugua, Dr Solomon Mwau and 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 hospital explained.
The surgery is typically performed under general anaesthesia, and a small incision is made behind the ear to access the Cochlear.
Further, Cochlear Implant 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, patients are able to contribute their full potential towards the Society
