Pastor Alexander Idachama has become the first patient to undergo robotic-assisted surgery at Redeemer’s Health Village Hospital in Redemption City, Ogun State, following a radical prostatectomy performed with the assistance of surgical robotics.
The procedure was carried out recently at the hospital in partnership with RoboMed Global Inc., a United States-based medical technology company. Professor Obi Ekwenna-Davis, co-founder of RoboMed Global, worked with local physicians, including Dr Ifeanyi, as part of the surgical team.
Idachama later shared his experience in a social media post published on September 22, describing the treatment and recovery process.
He said he learnt about Redeemer’s Health Village through the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Adedamola Dada, before deciding to seek treatment at the facility.
“I arrived at the hospital in the last week of August and was taken through a series of orientation sessions to acquaint me with the surgical process.”
According to Idachama, he subsequently met Dr Ifeanyi and other members of the medical team, who explained the procedure and what he should expect before, during and after surgery.
He described the robotic surgical system used at the hospital as world-class, adding that receiving the procedure in Nigeria saved him the expense and inconvenience of travelling abroad for treatment.
The operation was a radical prostatectomy, a major surgical procedure involving the removal of the prostate gland and surrounding tissues. Depending on the patient’s condition, nearby pelvic lymph nodes may also be removed.
Radical prostatectomy is commonly used in the treatment of localised prostate cancer, although the suitability of the procedure depends on an individual patient’s diagnosis and clinical assessment.
Idachama said he was discharged less than 24 hours after the operation.
He reported experiencing mild pain following the procedure but said it subsided quickly.
Reflecting on the experience, the pastor said robotic-assisted surgery offered greater precision and resulted in less pain during his recovery.
He also said he would recommend Redeemer’s Health Village to friends and family, describing its facilities as comparable with leading medical facilities internationally.
The procedure is part of the hospital’s growing adoption of robotic-assisted surgery, as advanced surgical technology continues to gain a foothold in Nigeria.
Redeemer’s Health Village and RoboMed Global have also been involved in a separate procedure described by the institutions as West Africa’s first 500-kilometre telerobotic surgery.
In that operation, surgeons at the Ogun State facility remotely assisted in performing surgery on a patient with a kidney tumour in Abuja, with the two locations connected through telecommunications technology.
The development has highlighted the potential for robotic and remote-assisted surgery to expand access to specialised medical care without requiring patients to travel abroad or relocate to major medical centres.
Surgeons involved in the Redeemer’s Health Village programme have also said robotic-assisted procedures can reduce tissue damage because they are performed through smaller incisions, potentially contributing to reduced pain and shorter hospital stays.
Idachama, who holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, is a researcher specialising in electronics, electrical communication and smart-grid applications. He also serves as a pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), which owns and operates Redeemer’s Health Village.
His experience comes as Nigeria continues to explore ways of expanding access to advanced surgical procedures and reducing the need for Nigerians to travel abroad for specialised medical treatment.
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