Providing care to children from low and middle-income countries with complex surgical problems: An 18 year review

Abstract

PurposeThe burden of surgical disease in children from low and middle-income countries (LMICs) is becoming more recognized as significant and undertreated. We recently reviewed our health system's experience with providing quaternary-level surgical care to children from LMICs through a partnership with World Pediatric Project (WPP), a not-for-profit organization. MethodsA retrospective review was performed of all WPP-sponsored patients who received surgical care at our children's hospital from LMICs in the Caribbean and Central America from July 2000 to August 2018. ResultsTwo hundred and fifty-five patients (average age: 5.9 ± 5.3 years; range: <1–18 years) from 14 countries received a total of 371 moderately to significantly complex operations from 10 pediatric surgical subspecialties, with cardiac, neurosurgery, craniofacial and general/thoracic surgical subspecialties being the most common. The average length of hospital stay was 10.7 ± 18.9 days. All patients had the opportunity to follow-up with local providers and/or visiting WPP-sponsored surgical teams. 227 patients (93.8%) were seen by WPP providers or released to an in-country physician partnering with WPP. There were 21 (8.2%) total, minor and major, postoperative complications. Five deaths (2.0%) occurred at our institution and 7 from disease progression, after returning to their home country. ConclusionsProviding complex surgical care to LMIC children in the US may help address a significant global burden. This care can be provided by multiple subspecialists with excellent outcomes, good follow-up, and low complication and mortality rates. Having a supportive health care system, volunteer surgeons, and an organization that manages logistics and provides financial support is essential. Type of StudyClinical research, retrospective review Level of EvidenceLevel IV