Anis Yusuf became the youngest Kenyan to undergo a successful Kidney transplant surgery after going through the procedure at the age of eight years.
While addressing the media after the operation, Surgeons at Mediheal Hospital in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County led by the chief anesthesiologist, Dr Mathawale Vaijamath, revealed that Yusuf, a resident of Wajir County, developed a kidney problem in 2019.
The medic added that the eight-year-old was diagnosed with kidney stones and that the parents had sought medication in various hospitals in the country and outside.
Dr Vaijamath narrated that the five-hour surgery was made possible after a 21-year-old relative of Yusuf donated one of his kidneys.
Despite being a risky surgery, the anesthesiologist stated that the risk was worth it as the kidney stones would extend to the second kidney.
"For this kid, the stones were the primary cause. So they had to come for regular checkups so that the stone does not damage the second kidney," he stated.
On his part, Dr Sananjabag stated that the surgery was a landmark operation given the complications that arise from operating on children.
"This transplant in children is a very complex surgery. The complexities are in terms of many things. There is a high chance of a recurrence of the basic disease, high chance of rejection and complications.
"The body will try to reject and to prevent this rejection, we have given medication that will help the body defense system to kill it," he stated.
Sananjabag added that the eight-year-old would take medication all his life with the family expected to buy medication worth Ksh10,000 per month.
However, he stated that the medication would vary from the time of the surgery. He also disclosed that Yusuf would be discharged from the hospital in five days before he is allowed to recover from home.
“Some of the tablets are to be taken lifelong and initially the dose is a little bit high for three months and after that the dose is less," he stated.
