Evolution of Video Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery in the Caribbean

Smith, Alan DeFOREST; Ramnarine, Ian; Pinkney, Patrice

doi:10.1016/j.ijsu.2019.05.012

Cited by 6 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…The Caribbean has very few societies organizing surgical and cardiovascular events including regional practice and developments. The two most important societies are the Caribbean Society of Endoscopic Surgeons, born in 2013 on the island of Curaçao, and the Caribbean Cardiac Society (CCS), founded in 1988 in Jamaica [ 8 , 9 ] . The CCS holds annual congresses in different islands throughout the Caribbean and works in association with the European Heart Society.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The four main reasons for the delay in developing VATS in the Caribbean have been: 1) resource availability, 2) poorly trained operating room staff, 3) low case volume, and 4) institutional culture [ 9 - 12 ] . For the English-speaking Caribbean, the three islands with the most experience in VATS have been Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For the English-speaking Caribbean, the three islands with the most experience in VATS have been Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago. With a mortality rate approaching zero and an 8.6% conversion rate to open surgery, these islands offer statistics paralleling those in developed countries at high-volume centers [ 9 - 12 ] . In surrounding mainland developing countries, VATS has also lagged behind high-income countries.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although VATS in Barbados began in 1996, these were mostly pleural and diagnostic. Despite these endeavors to enhance thoracic surgery, because of the lack of endoscopic staplers, no lobar pulmonary resections have been performed up to 2019 [ 9 - 12 ] . In 2016, uniportal VATS began on the island.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because this hospital is governmentally funded, limited budgets do not allow for quick advances, as a matter of fact, thoracoscopy is performed using laparoscopic equipment and even pleurodesis is done using mechanical abrasion because of the lack of chemical solutions for pleurodesis [ 9 - 12 ] . In a retrospective analysis, the experience with 50 patients over the period of May 1996 to February 2003 was described [ 9 - 12 ] . This study looked at various factors and outcomes in an attempt to ascertain the viability of VATS procedure on the island.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cardiothoracic Surgery in the Caribbean

Vinck¹,

Ebels

Hittinger

et al. 2021

Braz J Cardiovasc Surg

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Introduction Despite being one of the main vacation destinations in the world, health care in the Caribbean faces many difficulties. The challenges involved in these islands’ medical care range from low-resource institutions to lack of specialized care. In the field of thoracic and cardiac surgery, many limitations exist, and these include the lack of access to cardiac surgery for many small islands and little governmental funding for minimally invasive approaches in thoracic surgery. Methods Literature review was done using PubMed/MEDLINE and Google Scholar databases to identify articles describing the characteristics of thoracic and cardiac surgery departments on Caribbean islands. Articles on the history, current states of practice, and advances in cardiothoracic surgery in the Caribbean were reviewed. Results Regardless of the middle to high-income profile of the Caribbean, there are significant differences in the speed of technological growth in cardiothoracic surgery from island to island, as well as disparities between the quality of care and resources. Many islands struggle to advance the field of cardiothoracic surgery both through lack of local cardiac surgery centers and limited financial funding for minimally invasive thoracic surgery. Conclusions Cardiac and thoracic surgery in the Caribbean depend not only on the support from local government policies and proper distribution of healthcare budgets, but efforts by the surgeons themselves to change and improve institutional cultures. Although resource availability still remains a challenge, the Caribbean remains an important region that deserves special attention with regard to the unmet needs for long-term sustainability of chest surgery.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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