Surgeons in Kenya are preparing to carry out what they say is a first of its kind facial reconstruction to a six year-old boy who sustained facial injuries after being shot by bandits.

Ian Baraka was hit by a bullet in the lower jaw that exited through his mid-face during an attack by bandits in Meru County in December 2023, according to local reports.

Specialists at Kenyatta National Hospital said the boy suffered massive facial injuries that affected his ability to breathe, eat and speak.

They said the boy will undergo a phased-out facial reconstruction that is expected to restore function to the affected parts.

Ian has already undergone soft tissue reconstruction and is scheduled for the first phase of major procedures on September 25.

“The first phase of reconstruction would mean we have to give him something that we call patient-specific implants to allow him to grow,” Dr Andrew Okiariamu, a maxillofacial surgeon, told a media briefing.

“This is kind of revolutionary treatment because it has not been done in our setup for a growing child to allow for the bones to expand as you are also trying to give the child some form of good quality of life.”

Dr Margaret Mwasha, a prosthodontist, a specialist in restoration and replacement of teeth, said implants made of titanium alloy and silicone-made lips and nose will be used as replacements.

“Titanium is a material that is very compatible with human tissues and it is made in a way that bone growth can occur in those areas so that it firmly stays in place,” she said.

Abbas Gullet, the hospital’s board chair, said the doctors who took up the challenge deserved to be honoured for pioneering in a rare surgical procedure.

“It's going to take time, it's going to be challenging, but they have embraced the challenge and said that they can do it, and it's never been done anywhere in the world, and that's what we need to celebrate as a nation,” he said.