Yobe State University Teaching Hospital (YSUTH) has expanded the scope of specialist medical care available in the state after successfully performing its first total hip replacement surgery on a young patient suffering from sickle cell disease.

The landmark operation, conducted on Saturday, treated avascular necrosis, a condition in which poor blood supply causes the death of bone tissue, in this case affecting the upper part of the patient’s thigh bone.

The successful procedure means patients requiring total hip replacement may now have access to the specialised intervention within Yobe, rather than depending entirely on referrals outside the state.

The operation was performed by a medical team led by Dr Lawan Yari, with Dr Musa Abdulmalik, Dr Bashok Palagvi, Mr Manasseh Jonah and Mr Karumi Ibrahim also involved in the procedure.

Yobe State Commissioner for Health, Dr Muhammad Gana, announced the development on Sunday, describing the surgery as a major milestone for the state’s health sector.

Gana explained that total hip replacement involves removing a damaged hip joint and replacing it with an artificial joint, adding that the procedure had previously not been available in the state.

He commended the medical team for successfully undertaking what he described as a rare and specialised operation, which he said further demonstrated the expanding capacity of the state’s health institutions.

The development also comes against the backdrop of another major surgical achievement recorded in Yobe earlier this year.

In May, the Yobe State Specialist Hospital successfully performed a major maxillofacial operation on a 40-year-old woman diagnosed with a rare non-cancerous tumour affecting her lower jaw.

The commissioner linked both medical breakthroughs to increased government support for healthcare institutions and the provision of modern equipment to hospitals across the state.

The latest surgery therefore represents not only a successful procedure for one patient but another indication of Yobe’s growing capacity to provide complex specialist interventions locally.

The development was reported by The Next Edition, citing the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).