Success Nwanedo
Dr. Uchechi Iweala, the son of Director General of World Trade Organisation (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has become one of the first spinal surgeons in Maryland to perform a successfully navigated lumbar spinal fusion using a robot.
Dr. Iweala, a fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon, specializes in spine surgery, including Robotic Spine Surgery, Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, Cervical, and Lumbar Disc Replacement, among others.
Dr. Iweala, who grew up in Maryland and attended St. Albans in Washington DC, earned a Bachelor’s degree from Harvard College, including an MD/MBA from Harvard Medical School and Harvard Business School.
The surgeon has worked on health projects in Ghana and South Africa and recently co-founded a surgery center in Nigeria with his father, Dr. Ikemba Iweala, a trained neurosurgeon.
A member of the Lumbar Spine Research Society, the North American Spine Society, and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Dr. Iwela is married to Chioma Achebe, granddaughter of renowned writer, Chinua Achebe.
Celebrating her son on Thursday via social media, the WTO DG, Okonjo-Iweala, said, “Congratulations, Dr. Uchechi Iweala, on being one of the first spinal surgeons in Maryland to perform a successful navigated lumbar spinal fusion using a robot! So proud to be your Mum! Keep it going!”
