Daily Archives : Wednesday, March 5th, 2014

In the spring of 2013, a team of researchers and doctors at the University of Gothenburg performed the last of nine planned uterus transplants. The six-month follow up shows that live-donor uterus transplantation has a low risk despite extended surgery duration. In the next phase of the world-unique research project researchers will help seven of the women become pregnant through IVF treatment.

In Sweden alone, an estimated 2,000 young women of fertile age cannot become pregnant either because they were born without a womb or lost it later due to disease.

Professor Mats Barnnstorm, researcher at the University of Gothenburg and chief physician, is leading a unique research project aiming to make it possible for these women to have a uterus transplant and then get pregnant.

After more than a decade of research that has been evaluated in almost 40 scientific articles, in May 2012 the research team received permission from the Regional Ethical Review Board in Gothenburg to perform uterus transplants on ten Swedish women — the first in the world with living donors.

The first transplant was completed 15 September 2012, and the ninth and final in the spring of 2013. The tenth woman involved in the project had to be denied at an early stage for medical reasons. Five of the donors are mothers of the receivers; the remaining four a close relative.

Owing to Scientific and medical importance in two of the nine cases, the transplanted uterus had to be removed. In one case, due to blood clots in the transplanted blood vessels, in the other because of a local infection that was not fully treatable with antibiotics.

‘In a scientific and medical perspective, the transplants have been successful, especially in comparison with other types of transplants that have been introduced and where far fewer initial operations have been successful.’

‘The women who had to have their transplanted wombs removed were of course very disappointed, but both of them have recovered well,’ says Professor Brännström.

To improve childhood health through partnerships with health authorities and professionals, Sanofi has launched across the African continent the Paediatrics Initiative entitled “Healthy Children, Happy Children.”

In line with the launch, Sanofi Paediatric Initiative weekend in Lagos commissioned Paediatric Fun Centre at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital’s (LUTH) Paediatric Ward as its 1st Paediatric Initiative in Nigeria.

The Fun centre which also gave a facelift to the children’s ward of the hospital was part of the company’s determination to diversify and adapt its healthcare offer to young Nigerians and African patients at large.

Speaking at the commissioning of the Centre, the Chief Medical Director of the Hospital, Professor Akin Osibogun, who stressed the importance of social health, noted that the environment where a child is kept also contributes a lot to the health of the child.

Thanking Sanofi for coming from the rubbles to put a smile on the faces of the children and those yet unborn, Osibogun said the company has written their name in Gold as it concerns children’s health.

Represented by the Director of Administration, Mr. Ayo Olagunju, he pledged to ensure that the fun centre is maintained at all times.

On his part, Head of Paediatric, LUTH, Professor A. O AKINSULIE also noted the importance of the environment to children’s health. He commended the company for all their efforts at making the project a success.

Any council chairman who fails to key into the National Immunization Days faces the risk of being sacked by the people, Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, has warned.

He gave the warning Tuesday, at the winding down of the 4-day National Immunization Days in Benin City, he said government was happy with the rate of compliance with the programme.

Experts in paediatric oncology at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, have blamed high number of cancer deaths, particularly in children in Nigeria on late presentation of cases in various hospitals for treatment.

Meanwhile, Children Living With Cancer Foundation, CLWCF, in partnership with Avicenna International School and Unilever Nigeria Plc, has donated cancer treatment equipment valued at about N6.7 million to LUTH paediatric cancer ward.

At the donation, the experts agreed that Nigeria was faced with challenges of effective cancer treatment due to late presentation and wrong diagnoses.

Consultant paediatric haematologist at the Department of Paediatrics, LUTH, Professor Edamisan Temiye, said most parents whose children have cancer symptoms do not take the prompt initiative to seek medical care until it is too late to save the child.

He lamented the growing incidences of wrong diagnosis of cancer cases in the country, regretting that some medical personnel do not have the capacity to diagnose cancers among patients, thereby worsening cancer morbidity and mortality rates in Nigeria.

Commenting on some of the equipment donated which included 180 bone marrow aspirators, 20 central lines, 14 infusion pumps, six pulse oximeters, oxygen panelling and points for each bedside, Temiye said the donation would go a long way in the fight against childhood cancer in the hospital and Nigeria at large as well as bring hope to children living with cancers.

The hospital’s Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, CMAC, Professor Chris Bode, said the kind gesture would help the hospital care for the children better.

Bode who represented the Chief Medical Director, Professor Akin Osibogun, urged parents to seek medical help for their children early enough.

Former Nigeria striker Nwankwo Kanu has undergone corrective cardiac surgery in the United States, the head of the heart charity set up in his name said on Monday. According to AFP report, Onyebuchi Abia, the co-ordinator of the Kanu Heart Foundation, said the rangy former Arsenal forward and Super Eagles skipper was operated on at the weekend in Cleveland, Ohio, in the US mid-west.

“It was a corrective heart surgery,” Abia, without specifying the nature of the ailment, was quoted as saying in a number of Nigerian newspapers. “He normally goes for a medical check-up annually and it was during one of such checks he was operated on to correct a heart-related issue. “He is now recuperating. I spoke to him on Sunday.”

The 37-year-old first underwent heart surgery in the late 1990s to correct a faulty aortic valve. The experience prompted him to set up a foundation to build five hospitals in Africa to treat undiagnosed heart disease and provide surgery.

At the weekend, the Nigerian government named Kanu among the 100 most distinguished Nigerians during a ceremony to mark the centenary of the unification of north and south Nigeria.