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Biliary atresia in Uganda: Current ethical challenges and advancement of public policy.
Biliary atresia is a progressive cholangiopathy in neonates, which often results in liver failure. In high-income countries, initial treatment requires prompt diagnosis followed by Kasai portoenterostomy. For those with a late diagnosis, or those in whom Kasai portoenterostomy fails, liver transplantation is the only lifesaving treatment. Unfortunately, in low- and middle-income countries, timely diagnosis is a challenge and liver transplantation is rarely accessible. Here, we discuss the ethical dilemmas surrounding treatment of babies with biliary atresia in Uganda. Issues that require careful consideration include: risk of catastrophic health expenditure to families, ethical dilemmas of transplant tourism, medical risks of maintaining the transplant in a low-resourced health system, and difficult decisions encountered by the surgeon caring for these patients. Four distinct models of the patient-physician relationship are applied to biliary atresia in Uganda. These models describe differences in patient and physician roles, and patient values and autonomy. Solid organ transplantation is a rapidly evolving segment of healthcare in Uganda and ongoing policy advancements may shift ethical considerations in the future.
Duke Scholars
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Related Subject Headings
- Surgery
- 3202 Clinical sciences
- 1103 Clinical Sciences
Citation
![Journal cover image](https://secure.syndetics.com/index.aspx?isbn=/lc.gif&issn=1432-2323&client=dukeuniv)
Published In
DOI
EISSN
Publication Date
Location
Related Subject Headings
- Surgery
- 3202 Clinical sciences
- 1103 Clinical Sciences