Dr.Bethwel Raore and Dr.Walter Adero operating a patient during the September Neurocamp 2024. in the picture also another specialist working alongside.
The sixth year, September Neuro Camp 2024 at JOOTRH successfully performed a rare Cervical Corpectomy surgery for the first time in the institution’s history. The procedure, led by a team of skilled neurosurgeons, involved removing a damaged bone from a patient’s cervical spine to prevent paralysis.
The patient, a young man who suffered a severe neck injury after falling from a quarry, was at risk of becoming paraplegic due to the broken cervical bone pressing on his spinal cord. The surgeons, led by Dr. Bethwel Raore, Dr. Walter Adero, and Dr. Lee Ogutha, carefully drilled a hole in the cervical vertebral body and removed the damaged bone.
To replace the missing bone, the surgeons grafted a bone from the patient’s own pelvis. This intricate procedure, which lasted approximately three hours, was a significant milestone for the hospital and a testament to the expertise of the surgical team.
“This surgery that required meticulous planning and execution,” said Dr. Raore. “By removing the damaged bone and grafting a bone from the patient’s pelvis, we were able to prevent further spinal cord injury and improve the patient’s chances of a full recovery.”
In addition to the cervical corpectomy, the Neuro Camp also successfully performed 34 other complex neurosurgical procedures, including a skull-based tumor removal and a multi-level spine fusion.
The Neuro Camps are organized by the Kisumu Neuroscience Initiative, a project supported by Giving Back to Kenya, a non-governmental organization founded by Dr. Raore and Ms. Irene Dulo. The initiative aims to improve access to neurological care in Kenya and to provide educational opportunities for young people. Every three months the neuro camps are held with teams from different regions. Dr Timothy Ogutu leads the Geman team, yet another team from OHIO USA is led by Dr.Victor Awour and the last team that is from Atlanta Georgia USA is led by Dr. Bethwel Raore
