Nigeria has recorded its first tele-robotic surgery in a procedure that connected doctors in different locations to provide surgical care remotely.
The operation was carried out by the Redeemer’s Health Village in collaboration with RoboMed Global and Nisa Premier Hospital. The surgery was performed in real time from a Toumai robotic console at the Health Village on a patient at Nisa Premier Hospital in Abuja.
The procedure was a telesurgery-assisted, robot-assisted right radical nephrectomy to remove a kidney affected by a cancerous tumour.
Professor Obi Ekwenna-Davis, Professor of Urology and Transplantation who led the operation, said the procedure demonstrated that telesurgery could safely connect surgical teams and patients in different locations.
He said the operation lasted about three hours, with brief pauses to ensure that the equipment and systems were functioning properly. The patient was reported to be in good condition and expected to be discharged within 24 hours.
Ekwenna-Davis said the success of the collaboration showed the potential for specialist surgical skills to be delivered remotely within Nigeria and internationally. He added that a robotic academy would soon be established to train surgeons and other healthcare professionals, with a target of training at least 150 surgeons within two years.
RHV Chief Executive Officer, Dr Adedamola Dada, described the development as a major milestone and said it was intended to expand access to advanced healthcare without Nigerians having to travel abroad.
He said the introduction of robotic and tele-robotic surgery was aimed at reducing medical tourism and improving access to complex procedures. The hospital also said measures had been introduced to minimise connectivity challenges, which can affect telesurgery operations.
