We analyzed results from a nationwide facility survey in Sierra Leone that collected data on surgical procedures from operation and anesthesia logbooks in all facilities performing surgery. To describe a nationwide provision of pediatric surgical procedures and to assess pediatric hernia repair as a proxy indicator for the shortage of surgical care in the pediatric population in Sierra Leone. It is unknown to what extent the surgical needs of these children are met. Sierra Leone is a West African country with close to three million children. In low- and middle-income countries, there is a gap between the need for surgery and its equitable provision, and a lack of proxy indicators to estimate this gap. Further research into how to sustain and refine this project is underway. Long-term follow-up is required to prove the sustainability of the 3D-printed brace and prosthetic arms. The boy has accepted the brace and will be followed up in the months to come. Finally, a brace for a young boy with kyphoscoliosis was manufactured. In addition, four splints for hands and arms were made to prevent scar contractures after skin transplantation. Even though the prostheses primarily fulfill esthetic needs, they also exhibit some degree of functionality. Follow-ups were conducted after 3 to 4 weeks to investigate the quality of the prostheses and to complete a patient questionnaire. Four esthetic prostheses were designed: two prostheses of the hand, one of the forearm, and one of the entire arm. Questionnaires regarding patient satisfaction and the functionality of the prostheses were used for a short-term follow-up. Using a handheld 3D scanner and a 3D printer, patient-specific medical aids were designed, manufactured, and tested. During a 3-month period, we investigated the benefits of customized, 3D-printed arm prostheses, splints, and braces in Sierra Leone. We have examined whether a 3D printer can contribute to making prostheses, braces, or splints for patients who underwent major limb amputation because of complex wounds, for example, due to burns and subsequent scarring, accidents, conflicts, or congenital abnormalities. The aim of this feasibility study was to investigate how a 3D printer could be put to its best use in a resource-limited healthcare setting. It is hoped that such a comparison will aid advocacy efforts so that greater resources are devoted to improving emergency and essential surgical care in low- and middle-income countries. In a comparison of present day Sierra Leonean and US Civil War hospitals, the US Civil War facilities are equivalent and in many ways superior. Government hospitals in present day Sierra Leone lack the infrastructure, personnel, supplies, and equipment to adequately provide emergency and essential surgical care. ![]() It is rare to manage open fractures, limb dislocations, amputations, and conditions requiring chest tubes in Sierra Leone, while these procedures were commonly employed in US Civil War hospitals. ![]() In comparison, US Civil War hospitals had reliable running water, fuel, and anesthesia. ![]() In Sierra Leone it is rare to have running water, fuel, anesthesia, and reliable X-rays. There are 0.2 government hospital surgeons/100,000 people in Sierra Leone compared to 300 surgeons/100,000 soldiers in the Union Army. These data were then compared to data collected from the Medical and Surgical History of the Civil War, a work documenting surgical care and hospitals during the US Civil War. In collaboration with the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation, a team of local surgeons and surgeons from the organization Surgeons OverSeas (SOS) used the WHO Tool for Situational Analysis to Assess Emergency Surgical Care to quantify surgical capacity in Sierra Leone. Surgery is rapidly becoming a part of public health initiatives in developing countries.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |