Pastor Alexander Idachama has become the first patient to undergo robotic-assisted surgery at Redeemer’s Health Village Hospital in Redemption City, Ogun State.
Idachama underwent a radical prostatectomy, a procedure involving the removal of the prostate gland and surrounding tissues, with the assistance of surgical robotics.
The operation was performed recently at the hospital in partnership with US-based RoboMed Global Inc. The surgical team was led by Prof. Obi Ekwenna-Davis, co-founder of RoboMed Global, alongside Nigerian doctors, including Dr Ifeanyi.
The development followed the hospital’s adoption of robotic-assisted surgery and came alongside what Redeemer’s Health Village and RoboMed Global described as West Africa’s first 500-kilometre telerobotic surgery. During the procedure, surgeons at the Ogun State facility remotely operated on a patient with a kidney tumour in Abuja.
Idachama said he learnt about the hospital through its Chief Executive Officer, Dr Adedamola Dada, and decided to seek treatment there.
“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,” he said.
He said he later met Dr Ifeanyi and other members of the surgical team, who explained the stages of the procedure and what he should expect before, during and after the operation.
Describing the robotic system used for his surgery as world-class, Idachama said receiving treatment at the facility spared him the cost and inconvenience of travelling abroad for medical care.
A radical prostatectomy is primarily used in the treatment of localised prostate cancer and involves removing the entire prostate, along with the seminal vesicles and, where necessary, nearby pelvic lymph nodes.
Idachama said he was discharged less than 24 hours after the surgery. Although he experienced mild pain afterward, he said it subsided quickly.
Reflecting on his recovery, the pastor said robotic-assisted surgery offered greater precision, reduced pain and a gentler surgical experience for patients.
He said he would recommend Redeemer’s Health Village Hospital to his friends and family, describing its facilities as comparable to those available in leading hospitals around the world.
Surgeons at the Ogun State facility have said robotic-assisted surgery can reduce postoperative pain and shorten hospital stays because it involves smaller incisions and causes less tissue damage.
Idachama holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and 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), the global church network that owns and operates Redeemer’s Health Village.
