The Medical Director, Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital, Lagos, Dr Tosin Majekodunmi, has said that interventional radiology treatment can be the first-line care option for a wide variety of conditions, such as blocked fallopian tubes, malignant tumours in lung and liver cancer, fibroids and non-healing ulcers on diabetic patients.

 

Majekodunmi said this last Thursday at a briefing organised by the hospital in Lagos to unveil the first Trans-jugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt procedure in Nigeria.

 

He said the minimally invasive liver procedure was performed by a team of local medical specialists at the hospital on a 21-year-old Tosin Ojelabi who was diagnosed with Budd-Chiari Syndrome.

 

“Interventional radiology treatments do not involve open surgery, allowing for small to no incisions, short hospital stay, quick recovery time, less scarring, reduced blood loss and reduced apprehension,” Majekodunmi said.

 

Commenting on the milestone, a Vascular and Interventional Radiologist, Dr Hammed Ninalowo said, “It’s exciting to be able to perform the first TIPS procedure in Nigeria. With various techniques such as angiography, angioplasty, stenting, thrombolysis, embolisation, ablation, we are happy to provide an alternative procedure for patients, one that is favourable for them.

 

“TIPS is a procedure that uses imaging guidance to connect the portal vein to the hepatic vein in the liver. Interventional Radiology is an independent medical specialty that employs minimally invasive, image-guided procedures to diagnose and treat diseases in nearly every organ system.”

 

Ninalowo said the Budd-Chiari Syndrome was a rare condition caused by occlusion of the hepatic veins that drain the liver, presenting with the classical tirad of abdominal pain, ascites, and liver enlargement.