Women with Severe abdomen diseases benefit from a minimally invasive surgery at CHUK

By Elias HAKIZIMANA.

Gynecologist-surgeons in women abdomen diseases from the United Kingdom (UK) are in Kigali Teaching University (CHUK) from September 14, 2022 to support the medical team in the operation of severe diseases, using minimally invasive surgery technology.

The initiative was introduced by Reverend Osee Ntavuka, Founder and Legal Representative of Rwanda Legacy of Hope, to help the country treat patients with severe diseases 10 years ago.

“In our mission, I found that there are some medical experts in my church as a Rwandan diaspora that can play a vital role in my country, then I decided to bring them since 2011, we have come in Rwanda more than 55 times and we have 167 medical experts,” Ntavuka said.

Prof. Dr. Martin Nyundo, Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery, Senior Consultant General Surgeon and Head of Clinical Services Division at CHUK said that the experts are helping the team to operate abdomen problems among women.

“The technology consists of making small incisions to the abdomen and introducing instruments in the abdominal cavity, then treating the problem when it is required.” Said Prof. Dr. Nyundo. 

The technology helps the patient to get early discharge and to resume their activities in a short period.

“It is very important for us, because we have to help the patient to go back quickly and to have beds for others,” he said.

“These experts came to support our team here in our hospital, and the main purpose of this is to treat our patients’ complicated cases; and to provide high quality expertise. The second thing is to support our specialists and exchange their expertise and also give training to our students,” Prof. Dr. Nyundo said.

The experts are managing to operate around three to four patients per day during the week-long mission at CHUK.

The procedure

Prof. Dr. Nyundo explained that the minimally invasive surgery performed in the gynecology department where gynecologists are operating patients, with many indications.

He said that pathology related to gynecology can be treated using laparoscopy surgery, and that many of the problems are tumors in the abdomen especially to the ovary and uterus.

Laparoscopy is a kind of surgery done through one or more small incisions, using small tubes and tiny cameras and surgical instruments; and constitutes the types of minimally invasive surgery.

“The second indication which is the most important is infertility of woman, so there are many causes of infertility, when the gynecologist observes that problem in the abdominal cavity, he/she/ can see the obstruction of the tube due to many causes, as long as he/she has materials and expertise, he/she can release these causes, and the woman can get pregnancy,” Prof. Dr. Nyundo noted.

The treatment allows a patient to go back home after one day of operation as it is not invasive. The treatment of this kind is also done in other surgical specialties including abdominal surgery in men or in women.

Patient testimony

Joselyne Ibambe, 38, is one of the patients who has been operated with the minimally invasive surgery technology at CHUK. She said that spent about three hours in the operation room when she had an abdominal problem.

“I have been waiting for the medical expert’s rendez-vous for operation since two months ago, my last waiting day of the rendez-vous was scheduled on October, 28, 2022. I was lucky to hear that there are some experts from the UK who are coming to CHUK to help patients with the same case as mine. Yesterday, I entered the operation room at 10.00 am, and at 1.00 pm I was awake and feeling well.” She said,

Alexander OBOH, Consultant Gynecologist based in the UK is the one of those who are helping the team of gynecologists at CHUK said that they are performing the work with significant improvements.

“Absolutely, my colleagues are performing the operation because I have been showing them how we do things, they are trained to do this, this is my technique and yesterday we had three cases. For the first case, I was assisting, showing them different ways to do minimally invasive surgery, and it is safer, the second case, another gynecologist did it, and I did the third case,” OBOH said.   

Dr. David Ntirushwa, Gynecologist Consultant at, head of department of gyneco-obstetric department CHUK said that most women have different abdominal and reproductive problems that can lead to infertility. One is infertility caused by tumors or broken ovaries. He explained that minimally invasive surgery has many benefits for patients.

“The patient could spend between one and two days for caesarian operation before, following the case being operated on. Now, a patient can go back home after 24 hours,” he said.

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