Too Little, Too Late, Too Risky: Surgery In Africa
A new survey looks at the state of surgery in Africa. We asked Dr. Forster Amponsah-Manu, a general surgeon in Ghana, about his reaction — and his personal experiences.
Hundreds of thousands of Africans aren't able to get the surgery they need. And those who do undergo surgery, despite being younger and having fewer underlying health risks than patients in high-income countries, face a greater risk of dying after surgery.
A new study, published this month in The Lancet, looks at how 11,422 patients fared after surgery in 25 African countries. The finding: 1 in 5 developed complications. And of patients who developed complications after surgery in Africa, 5.6 percent died. That compares to 2.8 percent in 19 high-income countries studied.
The high death rate reflects the consequences of providing surgery, surgeon at the University of Toronto and author of a commentary accompanying the study.
