The management of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) is lauding a groundbreaking achievement: the successful completion of the hospital’s first-ever minimal access surgery on a 13-day-old baby.
Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo, the Chief Medical Director of LUTH, announced this milestone, describing the thoracoscopic primary repair of Esophageal Atresia and Tracheoesophageal Fistula as a groundbreaking procedure in any public hospital in Nigeria.
Esophageal atresia (EA) and tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) are rare conditions that pose life-threatening challenges, requiring urgent medical attention shortly after birth.
Adeyemo attributed the success of the surgery to increased funding by the Federal Government, the Health Ministry, and robust public-private partnerships.
He emphasized that such minimal access surgeries, subsidized by the government, underscore the commitment to providing affordable and quality healthcare services locally, reducing the need for medical tourism abroad.
Dr. Felix Alakaloko, the pediatric Consultant who led the surgical team, hailed the procedure’s success as a significant achievement for the institution, noting that the baby was responding well post-surgery and set to be discharged soon.
Alakaloko highlighted the stark contrast in costs, indicating that while similar surgeries could cost millions in private hospitals or abroad, LUTH provided the same service at a fraction of the cost.
The mother of the baby, Mrs. Adeyinka Shola, expressed profound gratitude to LUTH for saving her daughter’s life, underscoring the importance of timely medical intervention and praising the hospital’s expertise and care.
This groundbreaking surgery not only saves lives but also showcases LUTH’s commitment to advancing medical care and accessibility within Nigeria.
