A prospective observational study of postoperative follow‐ups and outcomes at a nonprofit, internationally supported pediatric surgery center in Guatemala

Abstract

Background: Global surgical access is unequally distributed, with the greatest surgical burden in low-and middle-income countries, where surgical care is often supplemented by nongovernmental organizations. Quality data from organizations providing this care are rarely collected or reported. The Moore Pediatric Surgery Center in Guatemala City, Guatemala, is unique in that it offers a permanently staffed, freestanding pediatric surgical center. Visiting surgical teams supplement the local permanent staff by providing a broad range of pediatric subspecialty surgical and anesthesia care. Aim: The aim of this study was to collect and report the incidence of completed postoperative follow-up visits and outcome measures at this nonprofit, internationally supported surgery center. Methods: De-identified demographic and postoperative outcome data were collected from each routinely scheduled, one-week pediatric surgical mission trip and incorporated into an electronic data collection system. Emphasis was placed on identification of completed postoperative visits and associated perioperative complications. After 27 months of data collection, results were analyzed to identify and quantify trends in patient follow-ups and postoperative outcomes. Results: Over 27 months, 1639 pediatric surgical procedures were performed and included in data analysis. The percentage of completed postoperative day-1 followup visits was 99.1%, and seven complications were identified out of these 1624 cases (postoperative complication rate of 0.4%). The percentage of completed first postoperative visits after discharge was 93.3%, and 67 complications were identified out of these 1530 cases (postoperative complication rate of 4.4%). Conclusion: Our data show a high rate of postoperative follow-up visits completed and low perioperative complication rates similar to those of high-income countries.Our data suggest that The Moore Surgery Center model of care offers an alternative to the short-term visiting surgical model by incorporating the local system and allows for improved follow-up, outcomes analysis, and high quality of care.

Pediatric Otolaryngology Short‐Term Mission Outcomes at a Surgical Mission Hospital in Guatemala

“…a total of 15 to 20 US surgical teams provide care annually. Visiting groups bring a multidisciplinary cohort of providers including surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurse anesthetists, operating room nurses, PACU nurses, and ancillary health care staff 22 …”

“…Visiting groups bring a multidisciplinary cohort of providers including surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurse anesthetists, operating room nurses, PACU nurses, and ancillary health care staff. 22 The center performs outpatient surgical procedures and utilizes a standard postoperative follow-up plan. Pediatric Otolaryngology-Head and Neck procedures comprise the majority of surgeries.…”

Pearls and Pitfalls of an Orthopaedic Mission Trip

“…However, this study also introduces a potential issue with such mission trips: Only 29% of patients were reachable for follow-up. 7 It is evident that such structural barriers to care among rural and low-income communities must be addressed in the development of orthopaedic missions. Addressing this disparity in health care is a great first step, but studies have shown that mission trips may have some serious downfalls.…”