Pastor Alexander Idachama has become the first reported patient to undergo robotic-assisted surgery at Redeemer’s Health Village Hospital in Redemption City, Ogun State, following a radical prostatectomy.
Idachama shared his experience after the procedure, describing the hospital’s robotic surgery facilities as world-class and saying the treatment saved him the cost and stress of travelling abroad for medical care.
The procedure was performed in partnership with US-based RoboMed Global Inc., with Prof. Obi Ekwenna-Davis, a co-founder of the company, and Nigerian medical professionals, including Dr Ifeanyi, involved in the surgical team.
Idachama said he learnt about Redeemer’s Health Village through its Chief Executive Officer, Dr Adedamola Dada, and arrived at the hospital in the last week of August.
He said he underwent orientation sessions before meeting members of the surgical team, who explained what to expect before, during and after the operation.
“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.
Idachama described the robotic system used for his treatment as world-class and said the experience convinced him that advanced surgical care could be delivered locally.
A radical prostatectomy involves the removal of the prostate gland and surrounding tissue and is commonly used in the treatment of localised prostate cancer.
According to Idachama, he was discharged less than 24 hours after the operation.
Although he experienced mild pain following the procedure, he said the discomfort subsided quickly.
Reflecting on his recovery, the pastor said robotic-assisted surgery offered greater precision, less pain and a gentler experience for patients.
He also said he would recommend Redeemer’s Health Village to friends and family.
The development comes amid a wider rollout of robotic surgery at the Ogun State facility.
Redeemer’s Health Village and RoboMed Global recently reported a separate milestone involving a patient in Abuja.
In that operation, a surgeon at Redeemer’s Health Village in Mowe remotely controlled a robotic system to perform a right radical nephrectomy on a patient with a kidney tumour at Nisa Premier Hospital in Abuja, about 500 kilometres away.
The September 19 procedure was described by the participating institutions as West Africa’s first telerobotic surgery.
Unlike Idachama’s operation, which was performed at the Ogun State facility, the telerobotic procedure involved the surgeon operating remotely from Ogun State while the patient remained in Abuja.
The development highlights the expanding use of robotic technology in Nigeria’s healthcare sector and its potential to connect specialist surgical expertise across geographical distances.
For Idachama, however, the immediate benefit was avoiding the need to travel overseas for treatment.
He said the experience had strengthened his confidence in the quality of specialised medical care available at Redeemer’s Health Village and expressed his willingness to recommend the facility to others.
