More hospitals have adopted minimally invasive surgery procedures, handing patients wider service options.
These techniques offer patients a less painful alternative to traditional surgeries, with reduced recovery times and lower risks of complications. The techniques include laparoscopic surgery, endoscopic procedures, natural-orifice surgery, and some robotic-assisted procedures.
During laparoscopic surgery, for example, surgeons insert a small camera and instruments through tiny incisions and operate while viewing enlarged images on a screen. Endoscopic procedures use a thin, camera-equipped tube to examine or treat internal organs, while robotic systems enable surgeons to control specialised instruments with greater precision.
Government data show that in 2025/26, Kenya performed 9,852 minimally invasive surgeries, exceeding the target of 7,005 by about 41 per cent.
At Aga Khan University Hospital Nairobi (AKUH), surgeons have expanded the range of robotic-assisted procedures they perform. In August, the hospital performed a robotic-assisted laparoscopic gallbladder removal, and in September they performed robotic removal of an ovarian cyst measuring more than 10 centimetres.
Abdulkarim Abdalla, chair of the hospital’s Department of Surgery, said robotic technology builds on conventional keyhole surgery.
‘Robotic-assisted surgery builds on the benefits of conventional keyhole surgery by providing surgeons with a three-dimensional view of the surgical field, greater flexibility of movement and improved access to areas that are difficult to visualise using traditional techniques,’ said Dr Abdalla.
The hospital has also been using vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (vNOTES) since 2024. The technique enables certain gynaecological operations to be performed through the vagina instead of through abdominal incisions. It can be used for selected hysterectomies, the surgical removal of all or part of the uterus, removal of ovarian cysts and treatment of ectopic pregnancies.
Bob Achila, lead surgeon and consultant urogynaecologist at AKUH, said the technique avoids an external abdominal incision.
‘vNOTES achieves this by operating solely through the vagina, avoiding any external cuts,’ said Dr Achila.
Public hospitals are also adopting minimally invasive surgery.
At Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) in Kisumu, fully fledged laparoscopic and endoscopy services became operational this year after the hospital acquired advanced equipment.
These services are expected to reduce the need for patients in the Lake Region to travel to Nairobi for advanced procedures.
JOOTRH Chief Executive Joshua Clinton Okise said the investment would make specialised care more accessible to patients.
‘By investing in advanced equipment, the hospital aims to reduce the need for patient referrals to distant facilities and provide timely, specialised care closer to home,’ said Dr Okise.
Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) has also expanded its laparoscopic surgery services. In May 2025, the hospital’s Shoe4Africa Children’s Ward performed laparoscopic surgery on a four-year-old boy with an undescended testicle, a condition in which one or both testicles have not moved into the scrotum as expected.
Meanwhile, Mbagathi County Referral Hospital performed its first laparoscopic operation in June, removing the gallbladder from a patient with painful gallstones. The hospital stated that the procedure would usually cost around Sh212,000, but it was fully covered by the Social Health Authority (SHA).
The cost difference is significant as minimally invasive surgery becomes more widespread. Previous estimates have put the cost of laparoscopic procedures in some private hospitals at between Sh300,000 and Sh350,000, depending on the operation and facility.
The expansion builds on decades of laparoscopic surgery in Kenya. A review of cases at AKUH documented 408 laparoscopic procedures between 2000 and 2002, including operations for infertility, ectopic pregnancies, fibroids, ovarian cysts and hysterectomies.
The minimally invasive approach is also being used in urology. In January, Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) became the first public health institution in Kenya to perform Rezum water-vapour therapy for benign prostate enlargement. The procedure was also performed at AKUH in June and AAR Hospital in August. Rezum involves delivering controlled bursts of steam through the urethra to destroy excess prostate tissue, which the body gradually absorbs.
Amadadin Alhlib, a consultant urologist at AKUH, said Rezum provides an additional treatment option for appropriately selected patients.
‘Recently, Rezum has emerged as an additional treatment option,’ said Dr Amadadin.
Hospitals are also expanding their use of robotic surgical technology, although robotic-assisted surgery is not automatically minimally invasive. In some procedures, such as robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery, the robot operates through small incisions.
In others, including knee replacement, the technology helps the surgeon plan and work with precision but does not necessarily involve a minimally invasive approach.
In December, Metropolitan Hospital in Nairobi performed robotic-assisted knee replacement surgery on two patients, becoming the first hospital in East and Central Africa to use the technology for the procedure.
Metropolitan Hospital’s Chief Executive Kanyenje Gakombe, said the development followed years of investment in surgical capacity, technology and specialist training.
‘The introduction of robotic-assisted surgery at Metropolitan Hospital expands access to high-precision orthopaedic care in Kenya and the wider region. It is the result of more than 30 years of investment in clinical training, infrastructure, and medical technology,’ said Mr Gakombe.
Faraj Alkizim, head of robotics, joint replacement and spine surgery at Metropolitan Hospital, said the technology supports surgeons rather than replacing them.
‘Robotic-assisted knee replacement is designed to support surgeons with patient-specific planning and precise bone preparation, improving the accuracy of alignment and component positioning,’ said Dr Faraj.