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The clinical and economic impact of a sustained program in global plastic surgery: valuing cleft care in resource-poor settings.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Hughes, CD; Babigian, A; McCormack, S; Alkire, BC; Wong, A; Pap, SA; Vincent, JR; Meara, JG; Castiglione, C; Silverman, R
Published in: Plastic and reconstructive surgery
July 2012

The development of surgery in low- and middle-income countries has been limited by a belief that it is too expensive to be sustainable. However, subspecialist surgical care can provide substantial clinical and economic benefits in low-resource settings. The goal of this study is to describe the clinical and economic impact of recurrent short-term plastic surgical trips in low- and middle-income countries.The authors conducted a retrospective review of clinic and operative logbooks from Hands Across the World's surgical experience in Ecuador. The authors calculated the disability-adjusted life-years averted to estimate the clinical impact of cleft repair and then calculated the economic impact of surgical intervention for cleft disease.One thousand one hundred forty-two reconstructive surgical cases were performed over 15 years. Surgery was most commonly performed for scar contractures [449 cases (39.3 percent)], of which burn scars comprised a substantial amount [215 cases (18.8 percent)]. There were 40 postoperative complications within 7 days of operation (3.5 percent), and partial wound dehiscence was the most common complication [16 of 40 (40 percent)]. Cleft disorders constituted 277 cases (24.3 percent), and 102 cases were primary cleft lip and/or palate cases. Between 396 and 1042 total disability-adjusted life-years were averted through surgery for these 102 cases of primary cleft repair. This translates to an economic benefit between $4.7 million (human capital approach) and $27.5 million (value of a statistical life approach).Plastic surgical disease is a significant source of morbidity for patients in resource-limited regions. Dedicated programs that provide essential reconstructive surgery can produce substantial clinical and economic benefits to host countries.

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Published In

Plastic and reconstructive surgery

DOI

EISSN

1529-4242

ISSN

0032-1052

Publication Date

July 2012

Volume

130

Issue

1

Start / End Page

87e / 94e

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Surgery, Plastic
  • Surgery
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Program Evaluation
  • Plastic Surgery Procedures
  • Morbidity
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Infant, Newborn
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
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Hughes, C. D., Babigian, A., McCormack, S., Alkire, B. C., Wong, A., Pap, S. A., … Silverman, R. (2012). The clinical and economic impact of a sustained program in global plastic surgery: valuing cleft care in resource-poor settings. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 130(1), 87e-94e. https://doi.org/10.1097/prs.0b013e318254b2a2
Hughes, Christopher D., Alan Babigian, Susan McCormack, Blake C. Alkire, Anselm Wong, Stephen A. Pap, Jeffrey R. Vincent, John G. Meara, Charles Castiglione, and Richard Silverman. “The clinical and economic impact of a sustained program in global plastic surgery: valuing cleft care in resource-poor settings.Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 130, no. 1 (July 2012): 87e-94e. https://doi.org/10.1097/prs.0b013e318254b2a2.
Hughes CD, Babigian A, McCormack S, Alkire BC, Wong A, Pap SA, et al. The clinical and economic impact of a sustained program in global plastic surgery: valuing cleft care in resource-poor settings. Plastic and reconstructive surgery. 2012 Jul;130(1):87e-94e.
Hughes, Christopher D., et al. “The clinical and economic impact of a sustained program in global plastic surgery: valuing cleft care in resource-poor settings.Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, vol. 130, no. 1, July 2012, pp. 87e-94e. Epmc, doi:10.1097/prs.0b013e318254b2a2.
Hughes CD, Babigian A, McCormack S, Alkire BC, Wong A, Pap SA, Vincent JR, Meara JG, Castiglione C, Silverman R. The clinical and economic impact of a sustained program in global plastic surgery: valuing cleft care in resource-poor settings. Plastic and reconstructive surgery. 2012 Jul;130(1):87e-94e.

Published In

Plastic and reconstructive surgery

DOI

EISSN

1529-4242

ISSN

0032-1052

Publication Date

July 2012

Volume

130

Issue

1

Start / End Page

87e / 94e

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Surgery, Plastic
  • Surgery
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Program Evaluation
  • Plastic Surgery Procedures
  • Morbidity
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Infant, Newborn