On 15th June 2022, KUTRRH marked another milestone with a successful graft repair of the Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm. The procedure was carried out by a team of KUTRRH specialists. The team comprised of Dr. Enock Makori and Yusuf Onle (surgeons), Dr. Isaac Adembesa and Dr. Brian Atandi (Anaesthesiologists), Samuel Karanu and James Mwaniki (scrub nurses), and Salome Wanjiru (theatre technician).
What is Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm?
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) refers to a condition resulting in enlargement of the aorta, the main blood vessel that delivers blood to the body, at the level of the abdomen. It can be life-threatening if it bursts. The condition is most common in older men and persons with a history of smoking.
AAA develops slowly without symptoms. As it grows, some people may notice a pulsating feeling near the navel. Pain in the back, stomach, or side may be signs of impending rapture. Stopping smoking has been cited to slow their growth. Small ones may only need monitoring while large or growing ones require quick repair with surgery.
Diseases that have been cited to cause AAA include atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in arteries), cardiovascular diseases, peripheral artery disease (PAD), traumatic injuries that cause tears in the artery wall, vasculitis (blood vessel inflammation), and tobacco use causing loss of structural proteins in the artery wall.
The first procedure in KUTRRH successfully saw the patient moved to cardiac ICU for 3 days and continued with recuperation thereafter prior to discharge. It involved resecting the aneurysmal part of the aorta and replacing it with a PTFE graft size 20/10. The bifurcated graft saw the involved replacement of the aorta and the two common iliac arteries.