Breast cancer, which affects approximately 12% of women worldwide, is a leading cause of death and morbidity, and the majority of cases are treated surgically. The loss of one or both breasts to cancer can be devastating and it often has negative physical and psychological impact on women. In order to maintain an outward breast contour, some women turn to temporary solutions, such as breast pads, which are often unsatisfactory. Over the years, patients' perceptions of their bodies, self-esteem levels and quality of life have all improved as a result of less radical breast cancer surgeries and the growing popularity of post-mastectomy breast reconstruction. Therefore, it is recommended that women undergoing breast cancer surgeries be given the choice of breast reconstruction. Nevertheless, accessibility, acceptability, and affordability of breast reconstruction still pose a challenge. Although these limitations exist globally, they are most noticeable in low- and middle-income nations. This article gives an overview of the various considerations and surgical options for breast reconstruction after breast cancer surgery. In addition, it examines some of the challenges to breast reconstruction faced worldwide and discusses recent and future trends which are bound to improve post-mastectomy breast reconstruction techniques and outcomes globally.

Epilepsy, a common neurologic disease, has puzzled mankind since ancient times. The disease has been attributed to different scientific, metaphysical, and spiritual causes and as such many interesting treatment modalities have been used in its management. The course of the modern-day management of epilepsy mirrors the advances in understanding of medicine and neuroscience over time, as well as technological advancements of the past century. Although anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) are widely used as the mainstay of treatment, some forms of epilepsy are pharmaco-resistant. To tackle these pharmaco-resistant or anatomically complex forms of epilepsy, many neuroscientists, neurologists and neurosurgeons have researched, developed, and refined several successful surgical approaches for the treatment of epilepsy over the past century. These surgeries have revolutionized care for patients with drug resistant epilepsy ensuring seizure control or complete seizure freedom and are widely used in developed countries. Unfortunately, access to epilepsy surgery (ES) is little or non-existent in countries of the global south, often due to varying combinations of financial and infrastructural constraints as well as knowledge and skill gaps among healthcare professionals, and cultural and religious beliefs among the populace. In Nigeria particularly, ES is in the nascent stage and efforts to improve access to ES through local research and international collaborations for capacity building and system strengthening are currently underway.