Kisumu hospital saves boy with complex facial reconstruction after phone battery explosion

CHRIS MAHANDARA-KNA

Surgeons at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) have successfully performed a delicate seven-hour reconstructive surgery that saved the life of a 12-year-old boy and began restoring his facial structure after a mobile phone battery exploded in his mouth.

The complex procedure stabilized the child’s shattered jaws, secured his airway, and restored his ability to breathe independently, speak, and swallow.

It marks a major medical milestone for the Kisumu-based facility, which was recently elevated to a Level 6A National Referral Hospital and State Parastatal under the Ministry of Health.

The boy was rushed to JOOTRH from Vihiga County following the domestic accident involving the phone battery. The explosion destroyed significant portions of his lower facial soft tissues and bone structures, leaving him in critical condition and struggling to breathe.

A multidisciplinary team led by maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Anthony Ganda, alongside specialists from Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT), Radiology and Critical Care, moved swiftly to save the child’s life.

One of the most urgent challenges was a severely distorted airway that made breathing nearly impossible. Using advanced video laryngoscopy, doctors successfully secured the airway as ENT specialists stood by for emergency surgical intervention.

Detailed CT imaging was then used to map the extent of the damage and guide reconstruction with millimeter precision. 

The grueling operation focused on three key goals- salvaging viable tissue, stabilizing broken facial bones and reconstructing the facial framework to restore both appearance and critical functions.

“The objective was not just to save his life, but to preserve his future,” Dr Ganda said, underscoring the importance of enabling the child to eat, speak and grow with as normal facial development as possible.

“We are not slowing down. As we scale up our waste management efforts, our focus remains clear: a cleaner, healthier Mombasa, where every resident lives with dignity,” said Nassir.

To bolster garbage collection after years of public outcry, over mounting waste in major streets and neighbourhoods, the devolved government procured 41 modified garbage-collection Tuk-Tuks and four garbage compactor trucks worth Sh95 million.

The newly acquired machinery has significantly improved garbage collection, as most of the existing garbage trucks Dr. Ganda said the injuries of such magnitude caused by battery explosions in children are extremely rare, with fewer than 100 similar cases documented in global medical literature.

The case, the said, adds to Kenya’s growing track record in handling complex facial reconstruction.

Only four months ago, a multidisciplinary team at Kenyatta National Hospital carried out a groundbreaking facial reconstruction on a seven-year-old boy, who had been shot during a bandit attack, a procedure hailed as a world first for the extent of facial restoration achieved.

At JOOTRH, the young patient is now stable and recovering in the ward.