No Cut, No Scar: Inside Nigeria’s New Fight Against Fibroids

What if treating a fibroid did not begin with a scalpel?

For years, the word fibroid has often been closely associated with surgery. Myomectomy and hysterectomy remain important treatment options for many patients, depending on the number, size and location of fibroids, symptoms and reproductive plans.

But another technology is increasingly attracting attention in Nigeria.

It is called High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound, or HIFU. ValidViewNetwork gathered that HIFU uses concentrated ultrasound energy to generate heat inside targeted tissue, allowing clinicians to treat selected fibroids without making a conventional surgical incision.

The Federal Capital Territory Administration introduced HIFU technology at Wuse District Hospital in June 2026 as part of efforts to expand options for managing uterine fibroids and other reproductive-health conditions.

The Nigerian experience

The technology is no longer merely being discussed as a future possibility in Nigeria.

The Fibroid Care Centre of Nordica Fertility Centre in Abuja said in September that it had treated more than 100 women with HIFU.

Its Chief Executive Officer, Dr Abayomi Ajayi, said the Abuja centre had treated 101 patients since starting HIFU treatment in July 2024, while the Lagos facility had treated more than 670 patients.

ValidViewNetwork reports that the treatment is promoted as non-invasive because it does not require a conventional surgical incision.

A previous Guardian report on HIFU treatment in Nigeria also described the technology as requiring no surgery, needles or conventional incisions and noted the potential for patients to resume normal activities within a shorter period than conventional surgery.

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But “no surgery” does not mean “for everyone”

This is where the hype surrounding HIFU needs to be controlled. Not every fibroid can automatically be treated with HIFU.

Doctors have to assess the size, location and number of fibroids, their accessibility and other medical factors.

A patient’s symptoms and reproductive plans also matter.

ValidViewNetwork can confirm that HIFU should therefore not be presented as a universal replacement for myomectomy, hysterectomy or other established treatments.

It is an additional option for selected patients.

What the technology changes

For a woman who qualifies for HIFU, the difference can be substantial. Instead of a conventional incision, focused ultrasound energy is directed at the targeted fibroid.

The treatment aims to destroy or shrink the targeted tissue while avoiding the need for conventional surgery.

That can reduce some of the burdens associated with surgical treatment. But proper assessment remains essential.

The right question is therefore not simply, “Can fibroids be treated without surgery?” It is: “Is this particular patient a suitable candidate for HIFU?”

That answer belongs with a qualified specialist after appropriate examination and imaging. ValidViewNetwork reports.