Ghana’s premier health-care facility, the Korle-Bu teaching hospital last week made history after completing a 10-hour-long surgery to remove a Pseudomyxoma Peritonei tumour from a patient.
The team of doctors, anaesthetist and nurses were on their feet throughout the joint procedure – Cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC.
Intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemoperfusion (HIPEC) is a type of hyperthermia therapy used in combination with surgery in the treatment of advanced abdominal cancers.
This is the first time in Ghana and West Africa that such a rare tumour had been removed through HIPEC.
“After removing the tumour, which weighed 10 pounds (4.5kg), the 52-year old patient is back on the ward and doing very well,” the Korle-Bu Teaching hospital announced on its Facebook page on Monday.
The hospital said the lead surgeon was Dr Asare Offei.
Dr Henry Obaka and Dr Fred Osei were the anaesthetists.
Other members were Mr Prince Kwame Amponsah, Ms Regina Hayford, Ms Jemima Akwetey and Mr Kwaku Frimpong –who were the peri-operative nurses.
The procedure was supported by dedicated surgical residents on the 3rd floor of the Department of Surgery.
