Expert urges doctors to use HIFU for removing fibroid instead of open surgery

By Mustapha Adamu, Kano

An Obstetrician/Gynecologist and Managing Director, Fibroid Care Centre, Nordica, Dr. Abayomi Ajayi has called on Nigerian doctors to leverage on an advanced technology, High Intensity Focused Ultrasound, HIFU to treat fibroid patients in the country instead of performing open surgeries or operation.
Dr. Ajayi stated this while speaking with newsmen shortly after an interactive session with doctors in Kano about HIFU and its journey so far in the last two years in Nigeria.
He said with the technology, the doctors required less number of doctors or nurses and also stands better chances to perform more surgeries when compared to the open surgeries.
Besides, Dr Ajayi also said it is not all patients with fibroids that needs open surgeries or operation.
The Gynecologist said he had carried out about 392 successful surgeries in it Lagos centre using the HIFU in the last two years.
According to him, “The message we want to pass across here is Doctors should consider HIFU as an option in management of uterine fibroids a non invasive option. What that means is the ultrasound to convert it to heat in order to kill fibroids. That it is not everybody that has fibroid that needs operation. Some people don’t even need any treatment at all.
“And I can tell you why this (HIFU) is very important for us. A lot of people are afraid of open surgeries in this country.
“Similarly, we can maximize the small doctors that we have, especially in this part of the world where the Doctor – Patient ratio is increasing. Infact, you will perform more number of surgeries using HIFU.
“We have carried out surgeries using HIFU for 392 patients successfully. And it is one doctor at a time that have been doing these surgeries.
“Currently, there are four of these machines in Africa. Tanzania just got one and are trying to install it. Before, it was three, we have it in South Africa, Egypt and Nigeria (Lagos). And that in Nigeria is the only one in West Africa. But other African countries are making efforts to key into this. We have gone beyond the age where fibroid will be operated,” Dr. Ajayi however stated.