Global Spine Outreach (GSO): how to safely establish a sustainable short-term pediatric spine deformity outreach...

There are presently no published reports unifying the safe delivery of pediatric spine care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Global Spine Outreach (GSO) is a 501(c)(3) pediatric healthcare nonprofit founded in 2013 with the mission of providing free, transformative surgical care to children with severe spinal deformities worldwide. This study aims to present the GSO model that other organizations can use to initiate, maintain, and grow short-term surgical mission trips (STSMs).

We retrospectively reviewed 56 consecutive STSMs from 2013 to 2024. GSO evaluated the reproducibility and sustainability of these missions, along with the re-engagement of volunteers and surgeons. Additionally, the protocol used by GSO is outlined, including pre-work and data gathering before site visits, initial site visits prior to selection, pre-STSM clinics, the initial STSM, and recurring STSMs.

The protocol was implemented in four countries to initiate six STSMs: Joinville (Brazil), Poznań and Otwock (Poland), Chihuahua and Monterrey (Mexico), and Cali (Colombia). A total of 2745 patients were screened, resulting in 593 surgeries performed. GSO engaged 23 local surgeons, each participating in multiple STSMs, and 584 volunteers contributed, with 70 serving on at least two trips and 32 on more than two. Initially, local surgeons in Colombia had performed no pediatric deformity surgeries independently; by 2019, this same team completed 187 complex spine cases without GSO's presence.

GSO has developed a protocol for safely initiating and maintaining spine deformity STSMs, ensuring a lasting impact. By following this standardized and reproducible model, any organization can initiate, maintain, and grow a safe and sustainable Short-Term Surgical Mission Trip in an outreach setting.