Building a sustainable free flap program in a resource-limited setting: A 12-year humanitarian effort.
global health
head and neck surgery
microvascular reconstruction
surgical oncology
surgical outreach
Journal
Head & neck
ISSN: 1097-0347
Titre abrégé: Head Neck
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 8902541
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
17 Jan 2024
17 Jan 2024
Historique:
revised:
01
01
2024
received:
25
11
2023
accepted:
02
01
2024
medline:
18
1
2024
pubmed:
18
1
2024
entrez:
17
1
2024
Statut:
aheadofprint
Résumé
We present a sustainable complex reconstructive program built through 12 years of surgical outreach work at Kijabe Hospital in Kenya. Retrospective chart review and anecdotal experiences. In 2011, surgeons from a US-medical center performed Kijabe Hospital's first 3 successful free flap surgeries. Since then, they have returned 7 times, performing a total of 31 tumor excisions with microvascular reconstruction. One flap failure occurred that was reconstructed on a subsequent trip. In 2013, a US-trained missionary surgeon and a Kenyan-trained general surgeon began working with the visiting team with the goal of performing these surgeries independently. In 2016 they performed their first independent free flap reconstruction and have since performed 32 independent cases with only three flap losses. Establishing infrastructure, staff education, selective patient criteria, and continuous communication are the factors that enabled the success of this program. Establishing a successful microvascular reconstruction program in a resource-limited setting is feasible.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
We present a sustainable complex reconstructive program built through 12 years of surgical outreach work at Kijabe Hospital in Kenya.
METHODS
METHODS
Retrospective chart review and anecdotal experiences.
RESULTS
RESULTS
In 2011, surgeons from a US-medical center performed Kijabe Hospital's first 3 successful free flap surgeries. Since then, they have returned 7 times, performing a total of 31 tumor excisions with microvascular reconstruction. One flap failure occurred that was reconstructed on a subsequent trip. In 2013, a US-trained missionary surgeon and a Kenyan-trained general surgeon began working with the visiting team with the goal of performing these surgeries independently. In 2016 they performed their first independent free flap reconstruction and have since performed 32 independent cases with only three flap losses. Establishing infrastructure, staff education, selective patient criteria, and continuous communication are the factors that enabled the success of this program.
CONCLUSIONS
CONCLUSIONS
Establishing a successful microvascular reconstruction program in a resource-limited setting is feasible.
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Informations de copyright
© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Références
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