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[Surgical humanitarian missions. An experience over 18 years].
1Service de Chirurgie Viscérale et Vasculaire, Centre hospitalier général Robert-Billon, Lisieux.
Chirurgie; Memoires De L'Academie De Chirurgie
|January 1, 1991
Summary
Surgical humanitarian missions in Africa performed over 17,000 operations across 18 years. Abdominopelvic and hernia surgeries were most common, with a 3.3% overall mortality rate.
Area of Science:
- Global Surgery
- Humanitarian Medicine
- African Healthcare
Background:
- Humanitarian missions provide essential surgical care in resource-limited settings.
- Long-term data from such missions are crucial for understanding surgical needs and outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the scope and outcomes of surgical interventions performed during humanitarian assignments in Africa over an 18-year period.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of surgical procedures conducted during 114 humanitarian assignments.
- Data collected from three African countries over 18 years.
- Categorization of surgeries by type (abdominopelvic, traumatology, etc.) and urgency (emergency vs. elective).
Main Results:
- 17,036 operations were performed, with abdominopelvic surgery (72.42%) and traumatology (17.38%) being predominant.
- Basic gynecological surgery and hernia repair constituted 81.68% of all procedures.
- Emergency surgeries accounted for 40.25% of the total caseload.
- The overall mortality rate was 3.3%, with significant variation (73.80% for multiple injuries, 1.07% for hernia repair).
Conclusions:
- Humanitarian surgical assignments in Africa address a substantial burden of abdominopelvic and hernia-related conditions, often requiring emergency interventions.
- While overall mortality is manageable, outcomes vary significantly by surgical complexity and patient condition.
- Sustained humanitarian efforts are vital for improving surgical access and outcomes in underserved African regions.