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Tsai C, Damoi JO, Zhang LP, Sarpel U, Binoga M, Kalumuna A, Glerum K, Marin ML, Herron DM. Collaborative international partnership: Enabling the development of a state-of-the-art minimally invasive surgical center in rural Uganda through telementoring. World J Surg 2024; 48:1602-1608. [PMID: 38814054 DOI: 10.1002/wjs.12218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Access to minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is limited in Sub-Saharan African countries. In 2019, the Mount Sinai Department of Surgery in New York collaborated with local Ugandans to construct the Kyabirwa Surgical Center (KSC), an independent, replicable, self-sustaining ambulatory surgical center in Uganda. We developed a focused MIS training program using a combination of in-person training and supervised telementoring. We present the results of our initial MIS telementoring experience. METHODS We worked jointly with Ugandan staff to construct the KSC in the rural province of Jinja. A solar-powered backup battery system ensured continuous power availability. Underground fiber optic cables were installed to provide stable high-speed Internet. The local Ugandan general surgeon (JOD) underwent a mini-fellowship in MIS and then trained extensively using the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery program. After a weeklong in-person session to train the Ugandan OR team, JOD performed laparoscopic cases with telementoring, which was conducted remotely by surgeons in New York via audiovisual feeds from the KSC OR. RESULTS From October 2021 to February 2024, JOD performed 61 telementored laparoscopic operations at KSC including 37 appendectomies and 24 cholecystectomies. Feedback was provided regarding patient positioning, port placement, surgical technique, instrument use, and critical steps of the operation. There were no intra-operative complications. Postoperatively, field medical workers visited patients at home to collect follow-up information. Two superficial wound infections (3.3%) were reported in the short-term follow-up. CONCLUSION Telementoring can be safely implemented to assist surgeons in previously underserved areas to provide advanced laparoscopic surgical care to the local patient population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Tsai
- Mount Sinai Health System Department of Surgery, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Linda P Zhang
- Mount Sinai Health System Department of Surgery, New York, New York, USA
| | - Umut Sarpel
- Mount Sinai Health System Department of Surgery, New York, New York, USA
| | - Moses Binoga
- Kyabirwa Surgical Center, Kyabirwa, Jinja, Uganda
| | | | - Katie Glerum
- Mount Sinai Health System Department of Surgery, New York, New York, USA
| | - Michael L Marin
- Mount Sinai Health System Department of Surgery, New York, New York, USA
| | - Daniel M Herron
- Mount Sinai Health System Department of Surgery, New York, New York, USA
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Zadey S, Rao S, Gondi I, Sheneman N, Patil C, Nayan A, Iyer H, Kumar AR, Prasad A, Finley GA, Prasad CRK, Chintamani, Sharma D, Ghosh D, Jesudian G, Fatima I, Pattisapu J, Ko JS, Bains L, Shah M, Alam MS, Hadigal N, Malhotra N, Wijesuriya N, Shukla P, Khan S, Pandya S, Khan T, Tenzin T, Hadiga VR, Peterson D. Achieving Surgical, Obstetric, Trauma, and Anesthesia (SOTA) care for all in South Asia. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1325922. [PMID: 38450144 PMCID: PMC10915281 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1325922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
South Asia is a demographically crucial, economically aspiring, and socio-culturally diverse region in the world. The region contributes to a large burden of surgically-treatable disease conditions. A large number of people in South Asia cannot access safe and affordable surgical, obstetric, trauma, and anesthesia (SOTA) care when in need. Yet, attention to the region in Global Surgery and Global Health is limited. Here, we assess the status of SOTA care in South Asia. We summarize the evidence on SOTA care indicators and planning. Region-wide, as well as country-specific challenges are highlighted. We also discuss potential directions-initiatives and innovations-toward addressing these challenges. Local partnerships, sustained research and advocacy efforts, and politics can be aligned with evidence-based policymaking and health planning to achieve equitable SOTA care access in the South Asian region under the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddhesh Zadey
- Association for Socially Applicable Research (ASAR), Pune, Maharashtra, India
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
- GEMINI Research Center, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
- Dr. D.Y. Patil Medical College, Hospital, and Research Centre, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Shirish Rao
- Association for Socially Applicable Research (ASAR), Pune, Maharashtra, India
- Global Alliance for Surgery, Obstetric, Trauma and Anaesthesia Care, Chicago, IL, United States
- Seth G.S. Medical College and K.E.M. Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Isha Gondi
- Global Alliance for Surgery, Obstetric, Trauma and Anaesthesia Care, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Health and Human Sciences, Baylor University, Waco, TX, United States
| | - Natalie Sheneman
- Global Alliance for Surgery, Obstetric, Trauma and Anaesthesia Care, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Chaitrali Patil
- Global Alliance for Surgery, Obstetric, Trauma and Anaesthesia Care, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Biology and Statistics, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Anveshi Nayan
- Association for Socially Applicable Research (ASAR), Pune, Maharashtra, India
- Seth G.S. Medical College and K.E.M. Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Himanshu Iyer
- Association for Socially Applicable Research (ASAR), Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Arti Raj Kumar
- India Hub, NIHR Health Research Unit On Global Surgery, Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, Punjab, India
| | - Arun Prasad
- Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi, India
| | - G. Allen Finley
- Department of Anesthesiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | | | - Chintamani
- Department of Surgery, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, India
| | - Dhananjaya Sharma
- Department of Surgery, NSCB Government Medical College, Jabalpur, India
| | - Dhruva Ghosh
- India Hub, NIHR Health Research Unit On Global Surgery, Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, Punjab, India
| | - Gnanaraj Jesudian
- Karunya Rural Community Hospital Karunya Nagar, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
- Association of Rural Surgeons of India, Wardha, India
- International Federation of Rural Surgeons, Ujjain, India
- Rural Surgery Innovations Private Limited, Dimapur, Nagaland, India
| | - Irum Fatima
- IRD Pakistan and the Global Surgery Foundation, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
| | - Jogi Pattisapu
- University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, FL, United States
| | - Justin Sangwook Ko
- Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Lovenish Bains
- Department of Surgery, Maulana Azad Medical College and Lok Nayak Hospital, New Delhi, India
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Research in Surgical Care Delivery in LMIC, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Mashal Shah
- Department of Surgery, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
| | - Mohammed Shadrul Alam
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Mugda Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh
- American College of Surgeons: Bangladesh Chapter, Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Bangladesh Health Economist Forum, Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Association of Pediatric Surgeons of Bangladesh (APSB), DMCH, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Narmada Hadigal
- Narmada Fertility Centre, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
- International Trauma Anesthesia and Critical Care Society, Stavander, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Naveen Malhotra
- Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak, Haryana, India
| | - Nilmini Wijesuriya
- College of Anaesthesiologists and Intensivists of Sri Lanka, Rajagiriya, Sri Lanka
| | - Prateek Shukla
- India Hub, NIHR Health Research Unit On Global Surgery, Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, Punjab, India
| | - Sadaf Khan
- Department of Surgery, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
| | - Sunil Pandya
- Department of Anaesthesia, Perioperative Medicine and Critical Care, AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Tariq Khan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Northwest School of Medicine, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Tashi Tenzin
- Army Medical Services, Military Hospital, Thimphu, Bhutan
- Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital, Thimphu, Bhutan
- Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan, Thimphu, Bhutan
| | | | - Daniel Peterson
- Global Alliance for Surgery, Obstetric, Trauma and Anaesthesia Care, Chicago, IL, United States
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Aruparayil N, Gnanaraj J, Mishra A, Bains L, Corrigan N, Brown J, Ensor T, King R, Shinkins B, Jayne D. Gasless laparoscopy in rural India-registry outcomes and evaluation of the learning curve. Surg Endosc 2023; 37:8227-8235. [PMID: 37653156 PMCID: PMC10615921 DOI: 10.1007/s00464-023-10392-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A program of gasless laparoscopy (GL) has been implemented in rural North-East India. To facilitate safe adoption, participating rural surgeons underwent rigorous training prior to independent clinical practice. An online registry was established to capture clinical data on safety and efficacy and to evaluate initial learning curves for gasless laparoscopy. METHODS Surgeons who had completed the GL training program participated in the online RedCap Registry. Patients included in the registry provided informed consent for the use of their data. Data on operative times, conversion rates, perioperative complications, length of stay, and hospital costs were collected. Fixed reference cumulative sum (CUSUM) model was used to evaluate the learning curve based on operative times and conversion rates published in the literature. RESULTS Four surgeons from three rural hospitals in North-East India participated in the registry. The data were collected over 12 months, from September 2019 to August 2020. One hundred and twenty-three participants underwent GL procedures, including 109 females (88.6%) and 14 males. GL procedures included cholecystectomy, appendicectomy, tubal ligation, ovarian cystectomy, diagnostic laparoscopy, and adhesiolysis. The mean operative time was 75.3 (42.05) minutes for all the surgeries. Conversion from GL to open surgery occurred in 11.4% of participants, with 8.9% converted to conventional laparoscopy. The main reasons for conversion were the inability to secure an operative view, lack of operating space, and adhesions. The mean length of stay was 3 (2.1) days. The complication rate was 5.7%, with one postoperative death. The CUSUM analysis for GL cholecystectomy showed a longer learning curve for operative time and few conversions. The learning curve for GL tubal ligation was relatively shorter. CONCLUSION Gasless laparoscopy can be safely implemented in the rural settings of Northeast India with appropriate training programs. Careful case selection is essential during the early stages of the surgical learning curve.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Aruparayil
- Leeds Institute of Medical Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
- St. James's University Hospital, Level 7, Clinical Sciences Building, Leeds, LS9 7TF, UK.
| | | | - A Mishra
- Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi, India
| | - L Bains
- Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi, India
| | - N Corrigan
- Leeds Institute of Clinical Trials Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - J Brown
- Leeds Institute of Clinical Trials Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - T Ensor
- Nuffield Centre for International Health and Development, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - R King
- Nuffield Centre for International Health and Development, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - B Shinkins
- Academic Unit of Health Economics, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
- Division of Health Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - D Jayne
- Leeds Institute of Medical Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
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Asfaw ZK, Todd R, Abasi U, Marcela Bailez M, Narvaez J, Carrasquilla A, Hernandez Centeno R, Yanowsky Reyes G, Zhang LP. Use of virtual platform for delivery of simulation-based laparoscopic training curriculum in LMICs. Surg Endosc 2023; 37:1528-1536. [PMID: 35852623 DOI: 10.1007/s00464-022-09438-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Laparoscopic surgery is rapidly expanding in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), yet many surgeons in LMICs have limited formal training in laparoscopy. In 2017, the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) implemented Global Laparoscopic Advancement Program (GLAP), an in-person simulation-based laparoscopic training curriculum for surgeons in LMICs. In light of COVID-19, SAGES adapted GLAP to a virtual format with telesimulation. This study explores the feasibility and efficacy of virtual laparoscopic simulation training in resource-limited settings. METHODS Participants from San Jose, Costa Rica, Leon, México, and Guadalajara, México enrolled in the virtual GLAP curriculum, meeting biweekly for 2-h didactic classes and 2-h hands-on live simulation practice. Surgical residents' laparoscopic skills were evaluated using the five Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) tasks during the initial and final weeks of the program. Participants also completed pre-and post-program surveys assessing their perception of simulation-based training. RESULTS The study cohort consisted of 16 surgical attendings and 20 general surgery residents. A minimum 70% response rate was recorded across all surveys in the study. By the end of GLAP, residents completed all five tasks of the FLS exam within less time relative to their performance at the beginning of the training program (p < 0.05). Respondents (100%) reported that the program was a good use of their time and that education via telesimulation was easily reproduced. Participants indicated that the practice sessions, guidance, and feedback offered by mentors were their favorite elements of the training. CONCLUSION A virtual simulation-based curriculum can be an effective strategy for laparoscopic skills training. Participants demonstrated an improvement in laparoscopic skills, and they appreciated the mentorship and opportunity to practice laparoscopic skills. Future programs can expand on using a virtual platform as a low-cost, effective strategy for providing laparoscopic skills training to surgeons in LMICs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zerubabbel K Asfaw
- Department of Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rachel Todd
- Department of Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Unwana Abasi
- Department of Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Maria Marcela Bailez
- Hospital de Pediatría Dr. J.P. Garrahan, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES): Global Affairs Committee, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Jacqueline Narvaez
- Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES): Global Affairs Committee, Los Angeles, USA
| | | | | | | | - Linda P Zhang
- Department of Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA. .,Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES): Global Affairs Committee, Los Angeles, USA.
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Lin Y, Vervoort D, Thapa B, Sapkota R, Mitchell JD. Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery for Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Thorac Surg Clin 2022; 32:405-412. [PMID: 35961748 DOI: 10.1016/j.thorsurg.2022.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
The burden of respiratory and upper-gastrointestinal diseases especially affects low- and middle-income countries. Five billion people lack access to safe, timely, and affordable surgical care, including thoracic surgical care. Minimally invasive thoracic surgery (MITS) has been shown to reduce complications, shorten hospital lengths of stay, and minimize health care costs, thereby enabling patients to pay less out-of-pocket and/or limit time away from work and families. Experiences with MITS exist but are limited in low- and middle-income countries; professional societies, academic institutions, policymakers, and industry can facilitate scale-up of MITS by increasing financing, expanding surgical training, and optimizing surgical supply chains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihan Lin
- Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, C-31012631 E. 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Dominique Vervoort
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bibhusal Thapa
- Thoracic Surgery Unit, Division of Surgery, Northern Health, Epping, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ranjan Sapkota
- Department of Cardio-Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Manmohan Cardio-Thoracic Vascular and Transplant Center, Institute of Medicine, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - John D Mitchell
- Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, C-31012631 E. 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
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