Maxillofacial surgeons at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) have successfully performed a complex, seven-hour reconstructive surgery on a 12-year-old boy.

The child had catastrophic lower facial injuries from a phone battery explosion . The operation stabilized his jaws, secured the airway, and restored essential functions, including independent breathing, speech and swallowing.

This procedure marks a significant milestone in Kenya’s medical landscape, following in the footsteps of a world-first facial restoration performed at Kenyatta National Hospital just four months ago.

The young patient was rushed to JOOTRH from Vihiga County after a domestic electrical accident involving a mobile phone battery explosion. The blast caused catastrophic damage, destroying facial soft tissues and bone structures, leaving the child in critical condition.

Injuries as severe as those caused by a phone battery explosion causing massive facial bone and soft tissue loss in children are extremely rare, with fewer than 100 similar cases ever described in medical literature.

In Kenya, world-first reconstructive milestones have been done by a team of Maxillofacial surgeons ,in 2025, a multidisciplinary team at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) carried out a groundbreaking facial reconstruction on seven-year-old boy , who was shot during a bandit attack, in what was hailed as a first-of-its-kind global surgery that restored his facial structure and function.

At JOOTRH A team Led by Dr. Anthony Ganda, including specialists from ENT, Radiology, and Critical Care—sprang into action. The team faced immediate hurdles, most notably a severely distorted airway that made breathing nearly impossible for the patient.

Using advanced video laryngoscopy, the team successfully secured the airway, while ENT specialists stood by for emergency surgical intervention. Advanced CT imaging allowed the surgeons to map out the destruction and plan the reconstruction with millimetre precision.

The gruelling seven-hour operation focused on three critical pillars, tissue salvage that is preserving viable skin and muscle, bone stabilization that was realigning the facial framework and facial reconstruction that involves restoring the aesthetic form and vital functions of the face.

“The objective was not just to save his life, but to preserve his future,” Dr.Ganda noted, emphasizing the importance of long-term facial function.

The patient is currently stable and recovering in the ward, with further staged reconstructive procedures planned to complete his rehabilitation.

In light of this incident, JOOTRH has issued a public safety warning regarding the handling of mobile phone and low-voltage batteries. While they may seem harmless, malfunctioning batteries can become lethal explosives, especially in the hands of children.

While further surgeries are planned to rebuild bone, soft tissues and dental function, this case adds to Kenya’s emerging experience in managing exceptionally rare and complex facial

trauma.