Kenya has marked a major milestone in medicine after doctors in Nairobi performed Kenya’s first-ever Intravascular Lithotripsy (IVL).

The rare heart surgery took place at The Nairobi West Hospital, placing Kenya as the second African country after South Africa to perform the operation. The doctors treated a 68-year-old man who had suffered a heart attack three weeks earlier.

Examinations revealed he had several calcified blockages in his coronary arteries. These blockages made the arteries extremely rigid, restricting blood flow and leaving him with very limited treatment options.

Conventional angioplasty balloons were unsuitable because his arteries were too narrow. Forcing them open carried a serious risk of tearing the vessel.

In many such cases, doctors usually recommend open-heart bypass surgery. However, that option was ruled out for this patient.

“The vessels were unsuitable in this patient’s case, so bypass surgery was not possible. We had very few options because the patient was also reluctant to have major surgery,” explained Dr. Vijaysinh Patil, the interventional cardiologist who led the operation.

IVL, however, offered a breakthrough solution. The treatment works by inserting a balloon catheter into the artery, which then releases controlled sound waves.

These waves shatter the hardened calcium deposits within the artery wall while leaving the surrounding tissue intact.

Once the artery regains flexibility, doctors can safely place stents to restore proper blood circulation.

“The technology enables us to break down the calcium without damaging the artery’s healthy sections. It allows us to safely treat patients who would otherwise have no choice but to undergo risky surgery,” Dr. Patil explained.

During the Nairobi operation, doctors used IVL pulses on two arteries that had been completely blocked. They then implanted two stents successfully. The patient recovered swiftly and walked out of the hospital the very next day.