Landmark heart procedure at KNH signals new era in neonatal care

Kenya has reached a defining moment in neonatal healthcare following a landmark medical procedure performed at Kenyatta National Hospital.

For the first time in the country’s history, doctors have successfully carried out a balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty on a premature newborn, an achievement that signals a new frontier in the treatment of complex congenital heart conditions.

The procedure, performed on a preterm infant barely a month old, demonstrates how advanced cardiac care is no longer the preserve of overseas hospitals, but increasingly available within Kenya’s public health system.

Balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty is a minimally invasive intervention used to widen a severely narrowed pulmonary valve, restoring blood flow from the heart to the lungs.

While the procedure is well established in older children, performing it on a premature newborn presents extraordinary challenges.

In preterm infants, blood vessels are extremely small, organs are underdeveloped, and the margin for error is minimal.

Any complication, bleeding, infection, or cardiac instability, can be fatal. This is what made the case at KNH particularly complex and nationally significant.

The infant, born at 34 weeks, was diagnosed with critical pulmonary valve stenosis shortly after birth.

The condition placed immense strain on the heart and dangerously reduced oxygen circulation. Without urgent intervention, survival was uncertain.

Following extensive assessment, a multidisciplinary medical team recommended immediate intervention despite the risks associated with operating on such a small and fragile patient.

The procedure, conducted on 5 February 2026, took approximately one and a half hours.

Using a catheter-guided balloon, doctors carefully widened the obstructed valve, relieving pressure on the heart and improving oxygen delivery.

Within 24 hours, tests showed a marked improvement in blood flow and stabilised blood pressure.

Over the following days, the baby was gradually weaned off oxygen support and began breathing independently.

KNH’s Acting Chief Executive Officer, Dr Richard Lesiyampe, described the success as a turning point for specialised neonatal care in Kenya, noting that it reflects growing investment in advanced medical capability.

For the baby’s mother, Ms Josephine Pilanoi, the experience was both terrifying and transformative.

“I am grateful to God and to the doctors and nurses who never gave up on my baby,” she said, capturing the emotional weight carried by families facing life-threatening neonatal conditions.