Surgical Outreach at the 57th West African College of Surgeons’ Conference: Advantages and Impact in Promoting Surgical Care in Rural Areas
Lankoandé M1*, Sawadogo TJ2, Salifou N3, Edoh TO4, Kaboré RAF5, Lankoandé J6.
1Department of Anaesthesia, Regional Hospital of Koudougou ; Burkina Faso
2Department of Surgery, Teaching Hospital Tingadogo; Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso;
33Department of Anaesthesia, Teaching Hospital of Bogodogo, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
44Institute of Pharmacy, Dept. of Drug Regulatory Affairs, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
5Department of Anaesthesia, Teaching Hospital Tingandogo, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
6D6Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Yalgado Ouedraogo University Teaching Hospital, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
*Corresponding Author: Dr. Martin Lankoandé Email: m.hamtaani@gmail.com
Source of grant: None
Conflict of Interest: None
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ABSTRACT
Background: In Burkina Faso, most of the population lives in rural areas. Health care workers are mainly nurses and most physicians are general practitioners. Patients in remote areas don’t have access to specialized care in their area of residence. Medical outreach is one strategy to address this issue particularly in developing countries. Aims and objectives: This study aimed to report on the experience of a surgical outreach carried out in a Regional Hospital in Burkina Faso as part of the February, 2017 Annual Conference of the West African College of Surgeons in order to share the benefits of this model of care. Setting: The outreach was carried out in the regional hospital of Ouahigouya, about 180 km from the capital Ouagadougou.
Materials and Methods: Prior to the 57th Congress of the West African College of Surgeons in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in February 2017, a surgical outreach was organized. Patients who underwent surgery during this outreach over a week were enrolled prospectively one month earlier.
Results: Twenty-four anesthetists (6 doctors, 18 nurses), and 23 surgeons (7 from Europe, Canada, USA, and Nigeria) participated. A total of 225 patients were screened and 100 had preanesthetic evaluation a week before surgery. Finally, 125 patients were operated on. A rapid pre-anesthetic evaluation was done on the day of surgery. The mean age of patients was 53.9 ± 19.8 years. Five patients were aged less than 14 years, 45 were elderly (aged 65 years or older) and 75 were aged between 15 to 64 years. The sex ratio was 1.1. Housewives constituted the commonest occupation. Majority, 71 (56.8%) of patients lived outside the city of Ouahigouya and 73 (58.4%) were ASA 1. Cataract extraction was the commonest procedure performed (in 65, 52% of patients). Sixty-eight (54.4%) of patients had surgery under local anesthesia. Surgery was ambulatory in 81 (64.8%) patients. Outreach surgery ended with a child of 2 years with acute respiratory distress after swallowing a coin which was successfully extracted. There were no serious peri-operative complications. One patient died from septic shock and respiratory distress following surgery for necrotic intestinal volvulus.
Conclusion: This was a safe, life-saving and free outreach surgery service, an example to promote in rural areas.
Key words:outreach surgery, West African College of Surgeons, Burkina Faso
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