Medical stakeholders in the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology played host to one-day Pre- conference workshop for Association of Gynecological Endoscopy Surgeons of Nigeria (AGES) in September 2023 .
Declaring the workshop open was the President of AGES, a consultant gynaecologist, Dr Olajuwon Alabi who said the association was set up seven years ago with the idea of bringing together professionals in the field for better understanding and service delivery as it relates to minimal access surgery (endoscopy). He said “minimal access surgery, is a surgery that has evolved over 40 years ago .. unfortunately due to so many factors it’s not routinely available in a lot of the teaching hospital, probably because of funding”.
Dr Alabi said that the workshop which provides an avenue for the exchange of ideas and capacity building on global best practices, has over the years enhanced the capacity of members in the discharge of their duties . “We set up a program where we bring procedures that are new to people, so a lot of people here who probably do not do this procedures routinely.. we bring it to them, trying to educate them on how to start the procedures to prevent complications ” the president stating the purpose of the pre-conference workshop in the UPTH.
The reason for embracing minimal access surgery, was highlighted by the president as “instead of _patients having big cut, they just have tiny cuts, they do not bleed as much, they are also able to go home the same day sometimes, and go back to work within a week, on like open surgeries that take about 4-6weeks to go, – and then infection, also the ability to conceive in the future is protected through all these procedures”.
He also noted the the possibilities with the applicability of minimal access surgery in rural areas “setting it up can be expensive, there are cheap and efficient way of establishing it in the rural areas as well, but it also depends on the passion and keenness of the doctor that wants or the management of that hospital”, siting a case of the practice in rural areas in Kenya .
In his presentation, a consultant gynacologist Dr. Adewole Adebayo from Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja, Nigeria who spoke on the topic of Proper placement in Laparoscopy and avoiding entry-related complications also highlighted the need for members to adopt best practices in the discharge of their duties.
In his remarks, a consultant in the department in UPTH, Prof T.k. Nyengidiki who spoke on effective Endscopy service, said before any Endscopy procedure can be done one must have effective tools that will ensure a good result for both patients and practitioners.
In his submissions, Prof Jude Okohue, who is the vice president of the Association encouraged participants to have passion for the work,
The high point of the workshop was a visit to the theater where procedures were carried out by experts drawn from within and outside the country.
The Chief Medical director UPTH, Prof Henry Ugboma, HOD O&G, Prof Rosemary Ogu, consultants and members of the association in the department gave the necessary support for a successful pre-conference workshop.
