Building operative care capacity in a resource limited setting: The Mongolian model of the expansion of sustainable laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Strategic partnerships to improve surgical care in the Asia-Pacific region: proceedings

Emergency and essential surgery is a critical component of universal health coverage. Session three of the three-part virtual meeting series on Strategic Planning to Improve Surgical, Obstetric, Anaesthesia, and Trauma Care in the Asia-Pacific Region focused on strategic partnerships. During this session, a range of partner organisations, including intergovernmental organisations, professional associations, academic and research institutions, non-governmental organisations, and the private sector provided an update on their work in surgical system strengthening in the Asia-Pacific region. Partner organisations could provide technical and implementation support for National Surgical, Obstetric, and Anaesthesia Planning (NSOAP) in a number of areas, including workforce strengthening, capacity building, guideline development, monitoring and evaluation, and service delivery. Participants emphasised the importance of several forms of strategic collaboration: 1) collaboration across the spectrum of care between emergency, critical, and surgical care, which share many common underlying health system requirements; 2) interprofessional collaboration between surgery, obstetrics, anaesthesia, diagnostics, nursing, midwifery among other professions; 3) regional collaboration, particularly between Pacific Island Countries, and 4) South-South collaboration between low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in mutual knowledge sharing. Partnerships between high-income countries (HIC) and LMIC organisations must include LMIC participants at a governance level for shared decision-making. Areas for joint action that emerged in the discussion included coordinated advocacy efforts to generate political view, developing common monitoring and evaluation frameworks, and utilising remote technology for workforce development and service delivery.

Lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic using virtual basic laparoscopic training in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia: effects on confidence, knowledge, and skill

BACKGROUND

An international surgical team implemented a virtual basic laparoscopic surgery course for Bolivian general and pediatric surgeons and residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. This simulation course aimed to enhance training in a lower-resource environment despite the challenges of decreased operative volume and lack of in-person instruction.

METHODS

The course was developed by surgeons from Bolivian and U.S.-based institutions and offered twice between July-December 2020. Didactic content and skill techniques were taught via weekly live videoconferences. Additional mentorship was provided through small group sessions. Participants were evaluated by pre- and post-course tests of didactic content as well as by video task review.

RESULTS

Of the 24 enrolled participants, 13 were practicing surgeons and 10 were surgery residents (one unspecified). Fifty percent (n = 12) indicated "almost never" performing laparoscopic surgeries pre-course. Confidence significantly increased for five laparoscopic tasks. Test scores also increased significantly (68.2% ± 12.5%, n = 21; vs 76.6% ± 12.6%, n = 19; p = 0.040). While challenges impeded objective evaluation for the first course iteration, adjustments permitted video scoring in the second iteration. This group demonstrated significant improvements in precision cutting (11.6% ± 16.7%, n = 9; vs 62.5% ± 18.6%, n = 6; p < 0.001), intracorporeal knot tying (36.4% ± 38.1%, n = 9; vs 79.2% ± 17.2%, n = 7; p = 0.012), and combined skill (40.3% ± 17.7%; n = 8 vs 77.2% ± 13.6%, n = 4; p = 0.042). Collectively, combined skill scores improved by 66.3% ± 10.4%.

CONCLUSION

Virtual international collaboration can improve confidence, knowledge, and basic laparoscopic skills, even in resource-limited settings during a global pandemic. Future efforts should focus on standardizing resources for participants and enhancing access to live feedback resources between classes.

Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery for Low- and Middle-Income Countries

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.

Establishing a baseline for surgical care in Mongolia: a situational analysis using the six indicators from the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery

OBJECTIVES

To inform national planning, six indicators posed by the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery were collected for the Mongolian surgical system. This situational analysis shows one lower middle-income country's ability to collect the indicators aided by a well-developed health information system.

DESIGN

An 11-year retrospective analysis of the Mongolian surgical system using data from the Health Development Center, National Statistics Office and Household Socio-Economic Survey. Access estimates were based on travel time to capable hospitals. Provider density, surgical volume and postoperative mortality were calculated at national and regional levels. Protection against impoverishing and catastrophic expenditures was assessed against standard out-of-pocket expenditure at government hospitals for individual operations.

SETTING

Mongolia's 81 public hospitals with surgical capability, including tertiary, secondary and primary/secondary facilities.

PARTICIPANTS

All operative patients in Mongolia's public hospitals, 2006-2016.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

Primary outcomes were national-level results of the indicators. Secondary outcomes include regional access; surgeons, anaesthesiologists and obstetricians (SAO) density; surgical volume; and perioperative mortality.

RESULTS

In 2016, 80.1% of the population had 2-hour access to essential surgery, including 60% of those outside the capital. SAO density was 47.4/100 000 population. A coding change increased surgical volume to 5784/100 000 population, and in-hospital mortality decreased from 0.27% to 0.14%. All households were financially protected from caesarean section. Appendectomy carried 99.4% and 98.4% protection, external femur fixation carried 75.4% and 50.7% protection from impoverishing and catastrophic expenditures, respectively. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy carried 42.9% protection from both.

CONCLUSIONS

Mongolia meets national benchmarks for access, provider density, surgical volume and postoperative mortality with notable limitations. Significant disparities exist between regions. Unequal access may be efficiently addressed by strengthening or building key district hospitals in population-dense areas. Increased financial protections are needed for operations involving hardware or technology. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation will support the development of context-specific interventions to improve surgical care in Mongolia.

Expansion of Reconstructive Surgical Capacity in Vietnam: Experience from the ReSurge Global Training Program

BACKGROUND

Building local surgical capacity in low-income and middle-income countries is critical to addressing the unmet global surgical need. Visiting educator programs can be utilized to train local surgeons, but the quantitative impact on surgical capacity has not yet been fully described. The authors' objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of training utilizing a visiting educator program on local reconstructive surgical capacity in Vietnam.

METHODS

A reconstructive surgery visiting educator program was implemented in Vietnam. Topics of training were based on needs defined by local surgeons, including those specializing in hand surgery, microsurgery, and craniofacial surgery. A retrospective analysis of annual case numbers corresponding to covered topics between the years 2014 and 2019 at each hospital was conducted to determine reconstructive surgical volume and procedures per surgeon over time. Direct costs, indirect costs, and value of volunteer services for each trip were calculated.

RESULTS

Over the course of 5 years, 12 visiting educator trips were conducted across three hospitals in Vietnam. Local surgeons subsequently independently performed a total of 2018 operations corresponding to topics covered during visiting educator trips, or a mean of 136 operations annually per surgeon. Within several years, the hospitals experienced an 81.5 percent increase in surgical volume for these reconstructive clinical conditions, and annual case volume continues to increase over time. Total costs were $191,290, for a mean cost per trip of $15,941.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical capacity can be successfully expanded by utilizing targeted visiting educator trips to train local reconstructive surgeons. Local providers ultimately independently perform an increased volume of complex procedures and provide further training to others.

Sustaining a laparoscopic program in resource-limited environments: results and lessons learned over 13 years in Botswana

BACKGROUND

Metrics of sustainability and frank descriptions of the unique challenges, successes, failures, and lessons learned from a longitudinal laparoscopic program in resource-limited environments are lacking. We set out to evaluate the safety and sustainability of the laparoscopic cholecystectomy program at Princess Marina Hospital, the largest tertiary and teaching hospital in Botswana.

METHODS

We assessed the clinical outcomes of patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy, comparing them with patients who underwent open cholecystectomy from January 2013 to December 2018. Technical independence and sustainability factors were measured and discussed.

RESULTS

Two hundred and twenty-six laparoscopic cholecystectomies (LC) and 39 open cholecystectomies (OC) were performed. Four surgeons who trained as part of the inaugural laparoscopic program performed 48.2% of LC. Eleven surgeons who trained elsewhere performed the remainder. Overall, 94.2% of LC were performed without expatriate surgeons. The conversion rate was 25/226 (11.1%). There were 3 bile duct injuries in the LC group (3/226, 1.3%) and none in the OC group. There was one mortality in the OC group (1/39, 2.6%) and none in the LC group. Fostering a trusting relationship among all stakeholder was identified as the major key to success, while the development of a system-based strategy was identified as the most significant ongoing challenge.

CONCLUSION

The laparoscopic cholecystectomy program in Botswana initially established between 2006 and 2012 has moved into its sustainability phase, characterized by increased usage of laparoscopy and greater independent operating by local surgeons, all while maintaining patient safety. Sustaining a laparoscopic program in resource-limited environments has particular challenges which may differ from country to country.

Establishing a Sustainable Training Program for Laparoscopy in Resource-Limited Settings: Experience in Ghana

Background

Healthcare equipment funded by international partners is often not properly utilized in many developing countries due to low levels of awareness and a lack of expertise. A long-term on-site training program for laparoscopic surgery was established at a regional hospital in Ghana upon request of the Ghana Health Service and local surgeons.

Objective

The authors report the initial 32-month experience of implementing laparoscopic surgery focusing on the trainees' response, technical independence, and factors associated with the successful implementation of a "new" surgical practice.

Methods

Curricular structure and feedback results of the trainings for doctors and nurses, and characteristics of laparoscopic procedures performed at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital between January 2017 and September 2019 were retrospectively reviewed.

Findings

Comprehensive training including two weeks of simulation workshops followed by animal labs were regularly provided for the doctors. Among the 97 trainees, 27.9% had prior exposure in laparoscopic surgery, 95% were satisfied with the program. Eleven nurses attained professional competency over 15 training sessions where none had prior exposure to laparoscopic surgery. Since the first laparoscopic cholecystectomy in February 2017, 82 laparoscopic procedures were performed. The scope of the surgery was expanded from general surgery (n = 46) to gynecology (n = 33), pediatric surgery (n = 2), and urology (n = 1). The volume of local doctors as primary operators increased from 0% (0/17, February to December 2017) to 41.9% (13/31, January to October 2018) and 79.4% (27/34, November 2018 to September 2019), with 72.5% of the cases being assisted by the expatriate surgeon. There were no open conversions, technical complications, or mortalities. Local doctors independently commenced endoscopic surgical procedures including cystoscopies, hysteroscopies, endoscopic neurosurgeries and arthroscopies.

Conclusion

Sensitization and motivation of the surgical workforce through long-term continuous on-site training resulted in the successful implementation of laparoscopic surgery with a high level of technical independence.

Education during Surgical Outreach Trips in Vietnam: A Qualitative Study of Surgeon Learners

Visiting educator trips teach surgical care in low-resource settings to develop sustainable global surgery. Surgery has been integral in these volunteer activities, but it is unknown whether surgeon learners receive suitable education during these trips. We sought to describe the educational experiences of surgeon learners during a visiting educator trip to better understand the perceptions of surgical outreach education.

Methods

We conducted semistructured interviews of 18 surgeon learners participating in a visiting educator trip to 2 hospitals in Thai Nguyen, Vietnam. Each interview was conducted in Vietnamese, translated into English, and transcribed. Narratives were content coded using thematic analyses.

Results

We identified 3 main themes. First, participants noted the value in surgical outreach and believed that these trips provided a thorough understanding of surgical care from patient evaluation to complications management. Second, participants described key barriers to education. Participants desired to focus on "learning one topic in depth" rather than learning in breadth. Furthermore, they described the paucity of translated resources, a lack of English proficiency, and rudimentary translator services. Finally, participants provided substantive guidance in improving surgical outreach education, specifically regarding the limited nature of current international partnerships to foster long-term, sustainable relationships.

Conclusions

Although Vietnamese surgeon learners felt that visiting educator trips were beneficial, they recognized important areas for improvement. The language barrier was a major impediment to effective learning with materials and lectures commonly provided in English, highlighting the need for improved language concordance. Additionally, participants desired continued relationships with the visiting surgeons to build long-term collaboration.

Cost and outcomes of open versus laparoscopic cholecystectomy in Mongolia

BACKGROUND

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is the standard of care for biliary disease in developed countries. LC in resource-limited countries is increasing. This prospective, observational study evaluates costs, outcomes, and quality of life (QoL) associated with laparoscopic versus open cholecystectomy (OC) in Mongolia.

METHODS

Patient demographics, outcomes, and total payer and patient costs were elicited from a convenience sample of patients undergoing cholecystectomy at four urban and three rural hospitals (February 2016-January 2017). QoL was assessed preoperatively and postoperatively using the five-level EQ-5D instrument. Perioperative complications, surgical fees, and QoL scores were evaluated for LC versus OC. Multivariate regression models were generated to adjust for differences between these groups.

RESULTS

Two hundred and fifteen cholecystectomies were included (LC 122, OC 93). LC patients were more likely to have attended college and have insurance. Preoperative symptoms were comparable between groups. Total complication rate was 21.8% (no difference between groups); LC patients had less superficial infections (0% versus 10.8%). Median hospital length of stay (HLOS) and days to return to work were shorter after LC. QoL improved after surgery for both groups. Mean total payer and patient costs were higher for LC, but not significant (P-value 0.126). After adjustment, LC had significantly less complications, shorter HLOS, fewer days to return to work, greater improvement in QoL scores, and no increase in cost.

CONCLUSIONS

LC is safe and beneficial to patients with biliary disease in Mongolia, and cost effective from the patient's and payer's perspective. Although equipment costs for LC may be more expensive than OC, there are likely significant cost savings related to reduced HLOS, shorter time off work, fewer complications, and improved QoL.

Operative needs in HIV+ populations: An estimation for sub-Saharan Africa

BACKGROUND

In 2015, it was estimated that approximately 36.7 million people were living with HIV globally and approximately 25.5 million of those people were living in sub-Saharan Africa. Limitations in the availability and access to adequate operative care require policy and planning to enhance operative capacity.

METHODS

Data estimating the total number of persons living with HIV by country, sex, and age group were obtained from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in 2015. Using minimum proposed surgical rates per 100,000 for 4, defined, sub-Saharan regions of Africa, country-specific and regional estimates were calculated. The total need and unmet need for operative procedures were estimated.

RESULTS

A minimum of 1,539,138 operative procedures were needed in 2015 for the 25.5 million persons living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2015, there was an unmet need of 908,513 operative cases in sub-Saharan Africa with the greatest unmet need in eastern sub-Saharan Africa (427,820) and western sub-Saharan Africa (325,026). Approximately 55.6% of the total need for operative cases is adult women, 38.4% are adult men, and 6.0% are among children under the age of 15.

CONCLUSION

A minimum of 1.5 million operative procedures annually are required to meet the needs of persons living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. The unmet need for operative care is greatest in eastern and western sub-Saharan Africa and will require investments in personnel, infrastructure, facilities, supplies, and equipment. We highlight the need for global planning and investment in resources to meet targets of operative capacity.