Nigeria has recorded its first tele-robotic surgery, with a team of surgeons remotely performing a kidney operation on a patient in Abuja.
The surgery was performed on Saturday by the Redeemer’s Health Village (RHV), in collaboration with RoboMed Global and Nisa Premier Hospital.
The operation was conducted in real time using a Toumai robotic surgery system, with the surgical team operating the system from RHV while the patient was at Nisa Premier Hospital in Abuja.
The procedure was a robot-assisted right radical nephrectomy, which involved removing a kidney affected by a cancerous tumour.
Prof. Obi Ekwenna-Davis, Professor of Urology and Transplantation and co-founder of RoboMed Global, led the surgery.
Speaking after the procedure, Ekwenna-Davis said the successful operation showed that telesurgery could be used to provide surgical care to patients in different parts of Nigeria and beyond.
“Distance should never decide who receives safe surgery; this is what safe and trusted surgery looks like,” he said.
He said the patient was in good condition following the operation and was expected to be discharged within 24 hours.
According to Ekwenna-Davis, the procedure lasted about three hours, with brief pauses during the operation to ensure that the equipment and systems were functioning properly.
Tele-robotic surgery, also known as remote surgery, allows a surgeon to perform an operation on a patient from a different location using robotic technology and telecommunications systems.
Ekwenna-Davis said the collaboration between the two hospitals was also significant because it marked the first time, according to the organisers, that hospitals in different parts of Nigeria had worked together to provide surgical care remotely.
He said continuous training would be important to sustain the technology, adding that a robotic academy would soon be established to train surgeons and other medical professionals.
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“The academy is expected to train at least 150 surgeons within the next two years”, he said.
Dr Adedamola Dada, Chief Executive Officer of RHV, described the procedure as the first telesurgery in West Africa.
Dada said RHV was established to promote healthcare innovation and provide world-class medical services at affordable costs.
Ekwenna-Davis said the programme had received support from the Minister of Health and other government institutions, while calling for additional support from private organisations and non-governmental organisations.
About the Author
Cecilia Attah is a tech analyst with a degree from Benue State University. She covers tech news and startups at TechRegard with a focus on how technology is transforming Africa and shaping the global landscape.
