Perspectives in Plastic Surgery: View of Plastic Surgeons From Kenya

Plastic surgery is a fairly new discipline in Kenya; like other surgical disciplines, it has experienced years of neglect. The surgical burden of disease that can be addressed by plastic surgeons is extensive, but it requires a systematic approach to sustainably address it.

The authors reviewed data on the number of plastic surgeons and their distribution across the country. The projected county populations were used to calculate the ratio of plastic surgeons to the population served.

With a population of 53 million and 41 plastic surgeons, 1 plastic surgeon serves 1.3 million Kenyans. However, only 16 counties have at least 1 plastic surgeon; the majority are to be found in the cities of Nairobi, Mombasa, and Eldoret; 28 million Kenyans live in counties without a plastic surgeon.

Plastic surgery in Kenya needs international collaboration to grow. Research, training, and sustainable healthcare financing were identified as the primary drivers of equitable access to plastic surgery in Kenya.