First patient to undergo robot-assisted radical prostatectomy at the hospital shares his experience before, during and after the procedure
Pastor Idachaba, the first patient to undergo robot-assisted radical prostatectomy at Redeemer’s Health Village Hospital, has shared his experience following the pioneering procedure.
In a video released by the hospital, Idachaba takes viewers through his journey before, during and after the operation, providing a rare first-hand account of what it was like to undergo advanced robotic-assisted surgery.
His testimony offers a patient’s perspective on the increasingly sophisticated role of technology in modern surgical care, while the procedure itself represents an important development in the hospital’s advanced surgical services.
What is radical prostatectomy?
A radical prostatectomy is a surgical procedure commonly used to treat prostate cancer when the disease is considered suitable for surgical removal.
During the operation, the surgeon removes the entire prostate gland and the seminal vesicles. In selected cases, nearby pelvic lymph nodes may also be removed and examined for evidence of cancer.
The prostate is located directly below the bladder and surrounds part of the urethra. Because important nerves, blood vessels and urinary structures are located close to it, removing the prostate requires careful surgical dissection.
How robotic prostate surgery works
In a robot-assisted radical prostatectomy, the robot does not independently perform the operation. The surgeon controls the robotic system throughout the procedure.
The surgeon makes several small incisions in the abdomen through which a camera and specialised instruments are introduced.
The camera provides a magnified, three-dimensional view of the surgical area, while the robotic instruments allow the surgeon to make highly controlled movements inside the pelvis.
The operation generally involves carefully separating and removing the prostate, removing the seminal vesicles and, where indicated, examining nearby lymph nodes.
After the prostate is removed, the surgeon reconnects the bladder to the urethra. This connection is called a vesicourethral anastomosis and restores the pathway through which urine leaves the bladder.
The removed tissue is then sent to a laboratory for histopathological examination, which provides important information about the cancer and whether the surgical margins are clear.
Protecting urinary and sexual function
One of the technical challenges of radical prostatectomy is protecting structures responsible for urinary control and erectile function.
Where the location and extent of the cancer allow, surgeons may perform nerve-sparing surgery, carefully preserving the neurovascular bundles surrounding the prostate.
However, nerve preservation depends on the individual patient’s cancer. If the tumour is close to or involves these structures, removing the affected tissue may be necessary to achieve appropriate cancer control.
What happens after surgery?
Recovery continues after the operation.
Patients are monitored for complications and assessed over time for urinary and sexual function. Urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction are recognised possible consequences of radical prostatectomy, although recovery varies from patient to patient.
Follow-up also includes monitoring prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels and reviewing the pathology report from the removed prostate.
The pathology report can help doctors determine important features of the cancer, including its extent and whether cancer cells are present at the edges of the removed tissue.
A patient’s story behind the medical milestone
For Pastor Idachaba, the significance of the operation is not simply about robotic technology. His testimony gives the public a patient’s-eye view of the experience — from preparing for surgery to undergoing the procedure and recovering afterwards.
His account also illustrates the human side of advances in surgical medicine.
The procedure at Redeemer’s Health Village Hospital demonstrates how robotic-assisted technology is being introduced into complex surgical care, while Idachaba’s experience provides a personal account of the journey behind the medical milestone.
At the centre of the procedure remains the same surgical objective: to remove the prostate cancer while preserving surrounding healthy structures and functions as safely as possible.
