The Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi has successfully performed laser surgery to remove kidney stones for the first time.
The surgical process involves a combination of endoscopic and laser facilities instead of instruments for surgical procedures to remove kidney stones.
The chief medical director (CMD) of the hospital, Dr Jibrin Bara, disclosed this in Bauchi shortly after the completion of the surgery.
He revealed that ATBUTH was the first health facility to have laser treatment for kidney stones in the Northeast region.
“The hospital now has a full upper tract endoscopic and laser facility that residents and others could access without going abroad,” he said.
A urologist at the hospital, Dr Evaristus Azobah, said the presence of kidney stones in the human body caused immense pain and discomfort.
“It becomes essential to get rid of the stones so that the normal activities of life continue uninterrupted. The laser lithotripsy treatment will save patients the pain of opening up their upper urinary tract during surgery,” he said.
