Pastor Alexander Idachama has become the first patient to undergo robotic-assisted surgery at Redeemer’s Health Village Hospital in Redemption City, Ogun State, following a successful radical prostatectomy.

The procedure was performed recently at the hospital in collaboration with US-based RoboMed Global Inc., with Prof. Obi Ekwenna-Davis, co-founder of RoboMed Global, and Nigerian doctors, including Dr Ifeanyi, among the specialists involved in the operation.

Idachama, who shared his experience in a social media post published on September 22, said he discovered the hospital through its Chief Executive Officer, Dr Adedamola Dada, and subsequently decided to seek treatment there.

He said he arrived at the facility in the last week of August and underwent orientation sessions before meeting members of the surgical team, who explained the procedure and the expected recovery process.

Idachama described the robotic surgical system as world-class and said having the procedure performed locally spared him the expense and inconvenience of travelling abroad for medical care.

A radical prostatectomy involves the removal of the prostate gland and surrounding tissues, including the seminal vesicles and, where necessary, nearby pelvic lymph nodes. The procedure is commonly used in the treatment of localised prostate cancer.

The pastor said he was discharged less than 24 hours after the operation.

Although he experienced some pain following the surgery, Idachama said the discomfort subsided quickly, adding that the procedure offered greater precision and a less invasive experience.

The development comes alongside another reported milestone involving the hospital and RoboMed Global, which carried out what was described as West Africa’s first 500-kilometre telerobotic surgery.

During the procedure, surgeons at Redeemer’s Health Village remotely operated on a patient with a kidney tumour in Abuja.

The hospital had previously said robotic-assisted surgery could reduce postoperative pain and shorten hospital stays because the technique involves smaller incisions and less tissue damage.

Idachama, who holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering and researches electronics, electrical communication and smart grid applications, is also a pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God, which owns and operates Redeemer’s Health Village.

He said he would recommend the hospital to his friends and family, describing its facilities as comparable with leading medical facilities globally.