The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) has launched a minimally invasive surgical (MIS) procedure for patients at its Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Unlike open surgeries, the minimally invasive surgery will allow the hospital to use specialized medical instruments for smaller surgical cuts which are often less risky for patients.

Traditional open surgery typically involves larger incisions, resulting in serious tissue damage and longer healing duration after surgery.

Patients normally risk increased pain, infection and having lifelong large scars that will require them to stay in the hospital for a long time.

The introduction of minimally invasive surgery at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital will aid in performance of medical procedures with small incisions and specialized technology.

Speaking at the launch, the Head of the Department, Dr. Micheal Yeboah said this approach will lessen mortality.

“With laparoscopic surgery, surgeons don’t have to open up women’s abdomen for surgery. This will prevent blood loss, death, shorter recovery time, reduced pain, and smaller scars for patients. Now we just need to propagate this news to communities. The cost is also not so much,” he said.

On his part, the Medical Director of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Dr Kwadwo Sarbeng, said this approach will help to ease congestion at the hospital.

“When the cut is small, we will be able to send them home fast and make the bed available for others. We hear of congestion at KATH, and that is because, along the lines, patients spend more time here because of the challenges that come with open surgeries. This is something that the hospital has been working on for a very long time,” he said.

The initiative is in partnership with the Technical University of Munich, Olympus Foundation, Gesundes and KNUST.

“Together with our partners, the goal is to establish a rapid and successful surgery technique for women in Ghana. Our visit to wards of gynaecology revealed that women suffer from wounds and scars from surgeries, even for removing fibroids. We realised laparoscopic wasn't available here,” said Prof. Marion Kiechle, Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the Technical University of Munich.