The University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH) has successfully performed its first endourology laser surgery with support from a Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) grant.

The hospital’s associate professor of Urology, Terka Atim, said on Thursday in Gwagwalada that the surgery was a giant step forward in the treatment of urinary tract infections and kidney stones.

He explained that endourology is a minimally invasive surgical subspecialty in urology that involves inserting endoscopes and other instruments into the urinary tract.

He said, “It is commonly used to diagnose and treat conditions such as kidney stones, like the patient we operated upon in UATH recently on ureteral strictures, bladder tumours and urinary tract abnormalities.

“Endourology technique often involves procedures such as laser lithotripsy, which means breaking of stones into tiny particles or powder.’’

Mr Atim said the hospital, with support from the vice-chancellor of the university, Abdul-Rasheed Na’allah, and the chief medical director, Bissallah Ekele, got a TETFUND grant for endourology and kidney transplant.

He added that the grant enabled the successful first kidney stone laser fragmentation performed in the hospital.

He noted that laser surgery uses a focused laser beam to fragment, cut, seal, or vaporise tissues, while traditional surgery involves the use of a surgical knife, scissors, and other hand-held instruments to perform the procedure.

“Laser surgery is typically less invasive, resulting in smaller incisions or no incisions at all, less bleeding, reduced scarring, fast recovery time compared to traditional surgery, reduced risk of infection and less pain.

“In addition, laser surgery allows greater control over the depth and area of tissue affected,” the professor explained.

He said laser surgery in Nigeria is scarce in public hospitals and expensive in private health centres.

“But luckily, our institution recently got a TETFUND grant for Endourology and Kidney transplantation,” he added. “And through the support of both the vice-chancellor, UniAbuja and the CMD, UATH, we successfully carried out our first kidney stone laser fragmentation.” 

(NAN)