Pastor Alexander Idachama has become the first patient to undergo robotic-assisted surgery at Redeemer’s Health Village Hospital in Redemption City, Ogun State, in a development highlighting the growing use of advanced surgical technology in Nigeria.
Idachama underwent a radical prostatectomy with the assistance of a surgical robotic system at the hospital. The procedure was performed by a team led by Professor Obi Ekwenna-Davis, co-founder of United States-based RoboMed Global Inc., alongside Nigerian doctors, including Dr Ifeanyi.
Speaking about his experience after the operation, Idachama said he decided to undergo treatment at the Ogun facility after learning about its medical services. He said the decision saved him the expense and logistical challenges associated with travelling abroad for treatment.
According to reports, Idachama arrived at the hospital in the last week of August and underwent orientation sessions before the procedure. He said members of the surgical team explained what to expect before, during and after the operation.
The pastor described the robotic system used for his procedure as world-class and said his recovery was relatively smooth. Another report said he was discharged less than 24 hours after the operation, while he described the pain following surgery as mild and said it subsided quickly.
Idachama said his experience had changed his perception of advanced medical treatment available in Nigeria. He described the hospital’s facilities as comparable with leading facilities internationally and said he would recommend the hospital to friends and family.
Robotic-assisted surgery uses specialised equipment that allows surgeons to control surgical instruments with enhanced visualisation and precision. In procedures such as radical prostatectomy, the technology can allow surgeons to operate through relatively small incisions.
Medical reports on the Ogun procedure said robotic-assisted surgery could reduce tissue damage and postoperative pain and may shorten hospital stays compared with some conventional approaches. However, outcomes vary according to the procedure, patient and medical team, and robotic technology does not eliminate the risks associated with major surgery.
The development at Redeemer’s Health Village is part of a wider expansion of robotic surgery in Nigeria. The hospital, working with RoboMed Global, also recently carried out what it described as West Africa’s first 500-kilometre telerobotic surgery.
In that procedure, surgeons based at the Ogun facility remotely operated a robotic system at Nisa Premier Hospital in Abuja to treat a patient with a kidney tumour. The operation was reported as successful and demonstrated how robotic technology could potentially connect specialist surgical teams with patients in different locations.
The two developments have drawn attention to the potential role of robotic and remote surgery in reducing the need for Nigerians to travel abroad for specialised medical treatment.
Dr Adedamola Dada, Chief Executive Officer of Redeemer’s Health Village, has said manpower remains an important challenge to expanding robotic surgery in Nigeria. He called for greater investment in training and scholarships to develop more specialists capable of operating and managing the technology.
For Idachama, however, the technological development became a personal medical experience. Having undergone the procedure locally, he said the treatment demonstrated that Nigerians could access sophisticated surgical care without necessarily travelling outside the country.
The introduction of robotic-assisted and telerobotic procedures also raises broader questions about the future of specialist healthcare in Nigeria, including the cost of maintaining the technology, availability of trained personnel, infrastructure and the extent to which such services can eventually become accessible beyond specialised private facilities.
The Ogun procedure therefore represents not only a milestone for Idachama as the first patient at the facility to undergo robotic-assisted surgery, but also another step in Nigeria’s efforts to incorporate advanced surgical technology into domestic healthcare delivery.
