By Job Osazuwa
The Redddington Hospital Group, Lagos, has again raised the bar in quality health care service in Nigeria by successfully performing the first laparoscopic radical prostatectomy in the country.
Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy is a minimally invasive surgery procedure used to remove a patient’s cancerous prostate. According to experts, the procedure differs from traditional open surgery by making five small incisions as opposed to a large one to perform the surgery, which leads to less blood loss, less abdominal trauma, faster recovery rate and better cosmetic outcomes.
A consultant urological, robotic surgeon and clinical lead surgeon for urology at Glan Clwyd Hospital in Wales, United Kingdom, who collaborated with the Reddington Hospital on the project, Prof. Kingsley Ekwueme, said prostate cancer was more prevalent among Black men than Caucasians even though figures show higher rates in Europe and the Americas due to high rate of testing.
He raised the alarm that prostate cancer was the number one killer among Nigerian men, followed by breasts cancer for women. He said, hypothetically, there was one male suffering from prostate cancer in Nigeria in nine out of 10 homes in Nigeria.
Ekwueme said the collaboration with Reddington Hospital would reduce medical tourism and capital flight, as the hospital had the cutting-edge medical technology for laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, which is cheaper than robotic surgery but gives equal results.
He said it cost as much as £30,000 for one session of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy in the UK and the majority of Nigerian men have been patients there. He stated that the bill did not include the cost for flight for the patient and accompanying family members and accommodation.
“This is a far cry from an equivalent of £1,000 charged in Nigeria for the prostate surgery. A prostate cancer patient duly operated will not lose his erection and can function very well with his spouse,” he said.
Disclosing that the operation was first of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa, the consultant said discussions were was on with the Reddington Group to fully maximize its medical equipment and expertise to establish a prostate cancer and diagnostic facility at the hospital.
To mitigate the pains associated with the disease, he urged men above 40 to go for regular test to know their PSA (prostate-specific antigen) level, stressing that early detection would ensure brighter chances of survival.
The chief operating officer of the Reddington Hospital Group, Mr. Emmanuel Matthews, said the hospital has consistently invested in latest equipment and attracted best medical expertise in Nigeria and in the diaspora to ensure that the hospital maintains global best practices towards achieving affordable health care.
He stated that Reddington has, over the years, pioneered medical breakthroughs in Nigeria, citing the example of the 66-year-old man, Mr. Oluwatoyin Adebiyi, who in 2020 successfully underwent a complex heart surgery involving a coronary artery bypass graft and mitral valve repair.
The latest patient, an elderly man (names withheld), who went through the laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, said he was elated at the success of the surgery, noting that he could walk and eat immediately without any complications.
“Though I have the resources to go abroad for this surgery, I came to Reddington Hospital on recommendation and I am very satisfied, he said.
He queried the trend of travelling abroad for a treatment plan that was available at one’s doorstep.