{"id":8905,"date":"2025-04-01T15:05:59","date_gmt":"2025-04-01T12:05:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/knh.or.ke\/?p=8905"},"modified":"2025-04-01T15:06:42","modified_gmt":"2025-04-01T12:06:42","slug":"breathing-easy-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/knh.or.ke\/index.php\/2025\/04\/01\/breathing-easy-again\/","title":{"rendered":"Breathing easy again"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Pauline Wanzu, a\n30-year-old lab technologist from Machakos County and mother to one, never\nimagined that her life would take such a sudden, serious turn in November 2023.\nAdmitted to Machakos Level 5 Hospital with pneumonia, she underwent tests that\nled to a CT scan revealing a tumor in her lungs. \u201cI was shocked,\u201d Pauline\nrecalls. \u201cI was already dealing with pneumonia, and then to learn there was a\ntumor, it was overwhelming.\u201d The discovery prompted a referral to Kenyatta\nNational Hospital (KNH) in February 2024 for a biopsy. <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

At the time,\nPauline was pregnant, and a doctors\u2019 strike delayed the diagnosis. \u201cThe biopsy\nwasn\u2019t performed until May, and I didn\u2019t get the results until June,\u201d she says.\nAfter delivering her son at KNH in September, she was scheduled for lung\nsurgery, set for November 12th, 2024. Dr. Aparna Ghose, a fourth-year resident\nin Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at the University of Nairobi, tells\nNewsline that Pauline had a neuroendocrine tumor in her left lower lung lobe.\n\u201cThis tumor grows from neuroendocrine cells, which release hormones into the\nbloodstream,\u201d Dr. Ghose explains. \u201cIt\u2019s commonly found in the lungs, pancreas,\nor intestines.\u201d Pauline admits she was nervous before the surgery. \u201cIt\u2019s lung\nsurgery, and I wasn\u2019t sure what to expect. But when the surgery was over, I was\nsurprised by how well I felt. I was able to walk that same night. The doctor\nhad mentioned I might need ICU monitoring, but instead, I was placed in the\nward, and everything went smoothly.\u201d The procedure performed on Pauline was\nVideo-assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS), a minimally invasive approach to\nsurgeries within the thoracic cavity. <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

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Dr. Ghose\nelaborates: \u201cVATS allows for small incisions instead of a large open chest\nincision. A camera and instruments are used to view and operate on the area. In\nPauline\u2019s case, the tumor was removed, and a chest tube was placed to help her\nlungs re-expand.\u201d Several factors made VATS the preferred option for Pauline\u2019s\nsurgery. \u201cIt provides a faster recovery time, smaller incisions, and less\npostoperative pain,\u201d Dr. Ghose explains. \u201cIt also minimizes the time spent in\nthe operating room, which improves the overall efficiency of the procedure.\u201d\nPauline\u2019s successful surgery marked a significant milestone at KNH, achieved\nthrough a groundbreaking initiative. A multidisciplinary team, led by Dr.\nJoseph Mutie, collaborated seamlessly. Cardiovascular and thoracic surgeons,\nincluding resident surgeons from the University of Nairobi, expertly utilized\nadvanced techniques. The anaesthesiology team, under the guidance of Dr.\nMbithe, meticulously maintained optimal patient conditions throughout the\nprocedure. The nursing team, comprising a scrub nurse and circulating nurse,\nensured the smooth and efficient operation of the surgical suite. The entire\nteam, including vital support staff, worked in unison to achieve the best\npossible outcome for Pauline.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

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Dr. Mutie, the\nlead surgeon, stated that KNH\u2019s commitment to world class care is exemplified\nby this significant milestone. The use of VATS in Pauline\u2019s case follows a\nsuccessful series of procedures at KNH, marking a significant advancement in\nthe hospital\u2019s ability to treat complex lung conditions. This minimally invasive\nsurgery not only reduces recovery time but also minimizes patient discomfort\nwhen compared to traditional open surgery. Two weeks after her surgery, Pauline\nreturned to KNH for a follow-up appointment in Ward 4B. \u201cI\u2019m not experiencing\nany pain now,\u201d she says, smiling. \u201cI just need to manage the dressing on my\nincision. Before the surgery, I had chest pains, coughing, and wheezing, but\nthose are all gone now. I do not need pain relievers.\u201d she told Newsline.\n\u201cPauline is a mother to a newborn and the minimally invasive surgery has\nenabled her to recuperate and reunite with her baby faster than conventional\nopen surgery which would take a longer healing period.\u201d says Dr. Ghose.\nPauline\u2019s incision is healing well, and she brought an X-ray to monitor her\nrecovery. She had two X-rays taken at KNH post-surgery and one more after her\ndischarge. <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

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Dr. Ghose\nconfirmed that everything looked normal, with no complications. The tumor had\nbeen successfully removed, and Pauline\u2019s road to recovery was on track. She was\nreferred to the KNH Oncology Clinic for ongoing monitoring. Throughout her\nhealth challenges, Pauline remained grounded in her faith. \u201cGod is always in\ncontrol,\u201d she reflects. \u201cIt\u2019s not always easy, but with faith and the doctors\u2019\nhelp, I\u2019ve made it through. I encourage everyone to trust the process and\nlisten to their doctors.\u201d She concluded. Pauline\u2019s journey is a powerful\nreminder of the strength we all have within us to overcome life\u2019s toughest\nchallenges. Her faith, determination, and the care she received at KNH allowed\nher to not only face the fear of a life-threatening illness but also emerge\nstronger. As she continues her recovery, her story shines a light on the\nimportance of trust, both in the medical professionals who care for us and in\nthe power of belief that carries us through difficult times. \u201cDr. Ghose\nemphasized that this marks a pioneering achievement for KNH and it shows and\nvalidates the hospital\u2019s constant strive to become world-class and ensure novel\ntechniques employed elsewhere worldwide are available to the Kenyan public.\n\u201cThis video-assisted surgery is accessible to all Kenyans under the National\nInsurance program (Social Health Insurance Fund). It caters for the cost of\nsurgery and inpatient admission.\u201d When asked about the most rewarding part of\nher career, Dr. Ghose focused on the profound impact she has on his patients.\n\u201cMy most rewarding experience is assisting my patients in the best way possible\nwhen they are most vulnerable and in need. I also enjoy making a difference in\ntheir daily lives and giving them a new shot at life courtesy of the various\nsurgical interventions we carry out.\u201d \u201cI would like to inform the Kenyans that\nwe are always striving to be competent and meet surgical expertise as per\ninternational standards. We are learning newer techniques and we would like to\nput our health system at par with those in first-world countries so that fellow\nKenyans who need medical care need not fly out of the country to get it. <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

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The future of\nmedical technology in Kenya is bright. We are also adapting and progressing in\nminimal access surgical techniques and there will be a time in 10 to 15 years\nwhen open surgical techniques shall become obsolete except for those procedures\nwhich will require extensive invasive open techniques due to the nature of the\ndisease.\u201d she concludes. The groundbreaking VATS surgery performed at KNH on\nPauline represents a monumental step forward for the hospital, allowing more\nadvanced, minimally invasive treatments that improve patient outcomes. With\nthis successful procedure, KNH continues to raise the bar for healthcare in\nKenya and beyond, providing hope and healing for many more patients in the\nfuture.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pauline Wanzu, a 30-year-old lab technologist from Machakos County and mother to one, never imagined that her life would take such a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8905","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/knh.or.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8905","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/knh.or.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/knh.or.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/knh.or.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/knh.or.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8905"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/knh.or.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8905\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8909,"href":"https:\/\/knh.or.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8905\/revisions\/8909"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/knh.or.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8905"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/knh.or.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8905"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/knh.or.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8905"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}