… HIFU milestone spearheads wider access to non-invasive care
L-R: Founder/Managing Director, Nordica Fertility Centre and Fibroid Care centre, Dr Abayomi Ajayi; Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs Rainat Onigbanjo; Clinic Manager, Nordica Fertility Centre, Mrs Tola Ajayi; Permanent Secretary, Lagos Health Service Commission, Dr Femi Omololu; and Chief Operating Officer, Nordica Fertility Centre, Dr Tosin Ajayi-Adeniyi, during the White Party in celebration of 1000 HIFU treatment in Lagos... on Saturday.
By Admin
Medical doctors must look beyond treating fibroids to address the physical, psychological, social and reproductive challenges women face, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Fibroid Care Centre @ Nordica, Dr Abayomi Ajayi, has said.
Ajayi spoke as the centre marked 1,000 high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatments for women with fibroids, using the five-year milestone to highlight the need for more individualised care and wider access to alternatives to surgery.
“This milestone is not about the machine; it is about choice. For too long, women had only one choice. We have completed 1,000 treatments, and the next 1,000 will come faster because West African women deserve world-class care,” he said.
Ajayi said the central lesson from the centre’s experience was the need to “treat the woman, not just the fibroid”, warning that doctors could become so focused on the growths that they overlooked the women living with them.
“When we look at uterine fibroids and adenomyosis through the clinical lens, every clinician in this room knows that the true impact of these conditions extends far beyond the physical symptoms. Fibroids and adenomyosis represent a multidimensional crisis for women. It is psychological and social as well,” he said.
According to him, silence and the tendency of women to conceal their symptoms can fuel anxiety, erode self-esteem and strain relationships, leaving many to cope with the condition in isolation. He said his experience treating women with fibroids and adenomyosis over the past five years had reinforced the need to consider their circumstances and quality of life alongside clinical findings.
“For every woman who bled every month and thought it was normal, this is for you. For every woman who was told, ‘You no longer need your uterus; just remove it,’ this is for you. We must never ignore the psychological and social burden these conditions place on women. We now work with a psychologist to support some of our patients,” Ajayi said.
He also highlighted the economic consequences, including lost working hours, repeated medical expenses and disruption to daily activities. Some women, he said, are unable to go to work because of their symptoms.
Explaining the significance of the centre’s White Party celebration, he said it was intended to recognise women who had endured the condition and sought treatment.
“Some women avoid wearing white clothes because they fear visible bleeding,” he said, describing an often-overlooked effect of heavy menstrual bleeding on women’s confidence and social lives.
The reproductive implications of fibroids, he added, make treatment choices particularly important. For decades, open myomectomy and hysterectomy have featured prominently among treatment options, but surgery carries risks, and the choice of procedure can have implications for future reproductive plans.
Ajayi said the centre introduced HIFU to West Africa to offer an alternative that targets fibroid tissue without surgical incisions or removal of the uterus.
“When we introduced HIFU to West Africa, our goal was simple but ambitious: to offer precise ablative treatment that destroys targeted tissue without surgical incisions or removal of the uterus,” he said.
HIFU uses focused ultrasound energy to heat and destroy targeted tissue, after which the treated fibroid gradually shrinks. However, the procedure is not suitable for every patient; eligibility depends on factors such as fibroid size, location and characteristics, and outcomes vary.
Reflecting on the 1,000 treatments, Ajayi said the significance extended beyond clinical measures such as changes in fibroid volume and symptom severity.
“Today, as we reflect on 1,000 treatments, we are not merely presenting clinical safety data, volume reduction rates or improvements in symptom severity scores. We are celebrating 1,000 opportunities to restore lives. We are talking about women returning to their families and careers, reclaiming their bodily integrity and regaining hope,” he said.
He acknowledged the need for continued clinical assessment and collaboration, describing the centre’s experience as an opportunity to improve treatment and expand access to non-invasive options across Africa.
“We are not presenting our experience as a final destination but as an invitation to collaborate, refine our approach and expand access to non-invasive fibroid treatment across Africa,” he said.
The five-year experience and 1,000-treatment mark place renewed focus on the need for comprehensive fibroid care that weighs clinical evidence, available treatment options, fertility considerations and quality of life.
Ajayi noted that Nigeria was currently the only country in West Africa offering HIFU, expressing hope that more centres would adopt the treatment.
The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs, Mrs. Rianat 'Jibike Onigbanjo said the milestone highlighted the importance of medical innovation, access to appropriate care and support for women whose health, family lives and daily activities are affected by fibroids.
“When we speak of 1,000 successful treatments, it is easy to focus on the number. But behind that number are 1,000 women, 1,000 personal journeys and countless moments of fear and hope,” she said.
Onigbanjo noted that fibroids could cause discomfort, anxiety and significant changes to women’s daily lives, adding that finding appropriate care could be difficult for some patients.
The Permanent Secretary commended the centre’s management and medical team, led by Dr Abayomi Ajayi, and urged women not to ignore persistent symptoms or suffer in silence.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Health Service Commission, Dr Femi Omololu, hailed the introduction of less-invasive approaches to women’s healthcare, recounting how observing laparoscopic surgery at Nordica influenced his own medical practice.
“I was among those who were initially skeptical, but I knew he would find a way,” he said.
HIFU uses focused ultrasound energy to heat and destroy targeted fibroid tissue, which gradually shrinks over time. Unlike procedures involving surgical incisions, it offers a non-invasive option for selected patients seeking to preserve their uterus.
However, the treatment is not suitable for every woman. Eligibility depends on factors including fibroid size, location and characteristics, while outcomes vary. Preserving the uterus does not automatically guarantee future pregnancy, making individual assessment and counselling essential.
The five-year milestone has drawn attention to the potential role of less-invasive treatment in fibroid care, as well as the need to ensure women receive balanced information about the benefits, limitations, risks and costs of available options.
