Leila Salum Kanyinyi, a 38‑year‑old mother of three from Zanzibar’s Urban West Region, was released from a year of severe back and abdominal pain when Chinese doctors performed a complex laparoscopic ureter reconstruction on October 30, 2026, at Lumumba Hospital, part of Mnazi Mmoja Hospital.
For months the narrowing of her right ureter had made even routine tasks impossible. After initial diagnosis by local staff, the case was referred to the 36th Chinese medical team, led by urologist Wang Wei. Using equipment donated by China, Wang performed a laparoscopic Boari flap ureteroneocystostomy – a minimally invasive reconstruction that uses bladder tissue to replace the damaged section of the ureter, avoiding the larger trauma of open surgery.
Surgery and International Cooperation
The procedure, described by the Xinhua source, not only saved Kanyinyi’s life but also served as a training platform. Wang explained surgical anatomy, procedural techniques, and complication management to local surgeons, underscoring the collaboration’s capacity to build local medical expertise.
In a statement to Xinhua, Kanyinyi said her relief was profound, "I feel like I have been given a new life."
"I feel like I have been given a new life," she told Xinhua.
