Benue hospital begins scarless fibroid, ovarian cyst surgery

The Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) has fully equipped its theatre with all necessary machines to commence scarless surgery.

This technology is against the background that many patients, especially those with fibroids and ovarian cysts, among others, do not want open surgery.

Chief Medical Director of BSUTH,  Stephen Hwande, who made the disclosure at a press briefing in Makurdi, explained that based on the improved manpower of the hospital, the scarless surgery and other services are now ready to address the needs of the public.

Hwande said, “We have developed our theatre fully for minimal access surgery or endoscopic surgeries. We will also start it in the public sector. Minimal access, like the name goes; you don’t cut people open, you just go in like a pin and you will carry out extensive surgery which is the same as cutting people wide open.

“So we have already acquired the equipment for the surgery and it is fully installed in our theatre and we have entered into collaboration with the Association of Endoscopic Gynaecologic Surgeons. And the first batch of this activity for gynae will be in the month of April. That’s 15 of April and above.

“The recruitment of the patients will be from the teaching hospital and other hospitals around. It’s also going to train the members of the surgeons, the gynaecologists, and those that have interest from other hospitals will also be trained in this minimal access/endoscopic surgeries.

“So cases like fibroid, ovarian cyst, among others, would now be done for patients who do not want open surgery; you can now have the minimal access surgery done in the teaching hospital now.

“The recruitment process is already on and the work of the media is to ensure that the person in Otukpo, Gboko and elsewhere that wants minimal access and doesn’t want scars get this information. So this is almost like a scarless surgery. Tell those people to come and register with us preparatory for surgery.” 

He further noted that the state governor, Hyacinth Alia, had also subsidised the cost for In-vitro Fertilisation (IVF) at the hospital for those having fertility issues to use the opportunity and have their own children.

“We have already recruited 25 women with infertility for In-vitro Fertilisation (IVF) services of the hospital. So the hospital’s first batch of IVF will be in April – May and 25 women have been recruited. We are going to run that at the Muhammadu Buhari annex and the governor has directed that the services should be subsidised for these women in this first batch.

“Usually, IVF processes are very expensive and for us to start in the public sector, in the whole country you may not find up to five teaching hospitals that are involved in IVF. So with this, the BSUTH will soon be put on the map of teaching hospitals that are involved in IVF,” the CMD said.