GPHC celebrates landmark achievement in reproductive surgery

…as woman previously struggling with infertility gives birth

The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) on Tuesday announced a medical achievement made by a team of gynecologists and obstetricians, who helped a patient, who had been struggling with secondary infertility due to completely blocked fallopian tubes, to finally conceive and deliver a healthy baby girl. The team was led by Head of Department, Obstetrics & Gynecology at GPHC, Dr Rafi Rozan.

According to the GPHC, the 40-year-old woman had suffered from secondary infertility for years due to the complete blockage of both fallopian tubes. However, with the intervention and expertise of Dr Rozan, a specialist in reproductive endocrinology and infertility, and the medical team, including Dr Radha Sookraj, Nirvanie Singh, and Dr Amanda Gray, the woman was able to conceive.
Patients with fallopian tube occlusion can pursue In-vitro Fertilisation (IVF), a costly process not currently available at public health facilities in Guyana. Additionally, reproductive surgeries, which can serve as a primary treatment, enhance IVF outcomes, or preserve fertility, may also be considered
In this case, Dr Rozan and his team, the GPHC said, performed a bilateral tubal reconstructive tuboplasty surgery. This procedure addressed the patient and fallopian tube blockages, representing a crucial step in restoring her reproductive health.
Just a few months after the surgery, the woman’s pregnancy test returned positive and on May 20, she gave birth to her baby girl. The newborn baby was initially placed in the care of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) but was later transferred to the Neonatal step-down unit at GPHC. She is expected to be discharged soon, the hospital said.
Last year Guyana was able to successfully facilitate 17 surgical missions, that played a pivotal role in clearing the backlog for specialised surgeries. According to GPHC’s Head of Surgery, Dr David Samaroo the public hospital was able to successfully execute some 12, 495 surgeries in 2023.
A total of 876 elective surgeries were executed, 587 minor surgeries, 845 emergencies surgeries and 56 hernias. Procedures range from complex spine, plastic, vaginal, skin, neurological, ligament reconstruction and joint replacement surgeries. During his remarks at GPHC’s End of Year press conference, Dr Samaroo had explained that these figures represent a ten percent increase in surgeries, when compared to the corresponding period. He attributed the success to the many collaborations facilitated by government, the development of strong clinical teams, hiring of skilled specialists, modification and improved infrastructure and the adoption of more efficient processes and patient pathways.