Outcomes of Short-Term Surgical Trips in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery: A Scoping Review

This scoping review aims to explore the current body of literature to characterize how short-term surgical trips (STSTs) in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (OtoHNS) contribute to surgical, educational, and sustainability-based outcomes in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We aim to use these data to synthesize aspects of STSTs that are successful with the hopes of shaping future global efforts.

Data sources included Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, Ovid Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Ovid Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Scopus.

A comprehensive search was conducted on several databases from inception to October 14, 2021. We included primary studies exploring any surgical or educational outcomes of global short-term surgical endeavors within LMICs. Data were then extracted to evaluate the heterogenous body of literature that exists, characterizing the surgical, educational, and sustainability-based outcomes.

Forty-Seven studies were included in the final analysis. Most publications were focused on surgical interventions (39 of 47; 82.9%); 13 (27.7%) studies included education as the primary aim and 12 (25.5%) considered sustainability a significant aim. Of the 94 first and last authors, there were zero first authors and only one last author with an LMIC affiliation. Twenty-six studies (55%) mentioned that any patients were seen in follow-up, ranging from one day to five years.

Our scoping review demonstrates that most STSTs have focused primarily on surgical procedures with a lack of appropriate long-term follow-up. However, the available outcome-based information presented helps identify factors that characterize a strong short-term global surgical program.

NA Laryngoscope, 134:32-39, 2024.