At last, LASUTH performs kidney transplant

The Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja has joined the league of the nation’s tertiary hospitals that have performed kidney transplants.

Other local hospitals that have performed this life saving surgery include the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Borno State, Delta State University Teaching Hospital and the St. Nicholas Hospital, Lagos.

It is estimated that over 180 renal transplantation have been carried out in Nigerian hospitals.

The lead surgeon and Consultant Nephrologist at LASUTH, Dr. Jacob Awobusuyi, said the transplant, which was carried out on a 56-year-old man, was successful.

Awobusuyi said the procedure, which took two and a half hour, took three years of preparation from specialists at the hospital.

He added that it was born out of the fact that patients did their dialysis in LASUTH and travelled to India for surgery due to lack of facilities.

The kidney specialist said that experts at the hospital had to undergo several trainings on renal transplantation in Brazil, Kenya and the United Kingdom to build capacity for the advanced surgery.

According to him, the programme is something that will offer Nigerians the opportunity to get treatment in Nigeria and in LASUTH where patient can receive the best and at an affordable price.

LASUTH’s Chief Medical Director, Prof. Wale Oke, said the successful operation was part of the state government’s promises to deliver excellent healthcare services to the people of the state.

He noted that the successful transplant would boost local patronage and reduce the number of Nigerians traveling abroad for kidney transplant.

Oke said, “We have a lot of patients going abroad for kidney transplant. But remember that if you go to India or any other place, you will pay for your flight and that of your donor. You will pay for the hotel rooms where you and your donor are likely to stay while preparations are going on. You will pay for the operation prpoer and hospital bill.

“If you do it in Nigeria, you will eliminate every other cost and spend a quarter of what you would have spent if you had the surgery in India.”

PUNCH.