Are LMICs Achieving the Lancet Commission Global Benchmark for Surgical Volumes? A Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION: The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery (LCoGS) set the benchmark of 5000 procedures per 100,000 population annually to meet surgical needs adequately. This systematic review provides an overview of the last ten years of surgical volumes in Low and Middle- Income-Countries (LMICs). METHODOLOGY: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane, and EMBASE databases for studies from LMICs addressing surgical volume. The number of surgeries performed per 100,000 population was estimated. We used cesarean sections, hernia, and laparotomies as index cases for the surgical capacities of the country. Their proportions to total surgical volumes were estimated. The association of country-specific surgical volumes and the proportion of index cases with its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita was analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 26 articles were included in this review. In LMICs, on average, 877 surgeries were performed per 100,000 population. The proportion of cesarean sections was found to be high in all LMICs, with an average of 30.1% of the total surgeries, followed by hernia (16.4%) and laparotomy (5.1%). The overall surgical volumes increased as the GDP per capita increased. The proportions of cesarean section and hernia to total surgical volumes decreased with increased GDP per capita. Significant heterogeneity was found in the methodologies to assess surgical volumes, and inconsistent reporting hindered comparison between countries. CONCLUSION: Most LMICs have surgical volumes below the LCoGS benchmark of 5000 procedures per 100,000 population, with an average of 877 surgeries. The surgical volume increased while the proportions of hernia and cesarean sections reduced with increased GDP per capita. In the future, it's essential to apply uniform and reproducible data collection methods for obtaining multinational data that can be more accurately compared.

Mapping population access to essential surgical care in Liberia using equipment, personnel, and bellwether capability standards.

BACKGROUND: Accurate surveillance of population access to essential surgery is key for strategic healthcare planning. This study aimed to estimate population access to surgical facilities meeting standards for safe surgery equipment, specialized surgical personnel, and bellwether capability, cesarean delivery, emergency laparotomy, and long-bone fracture fixation and to evaluate the validity of using these standards to describe the full breadth of essential surgical care needs in Liberia. METHOD: An observational study of surgical facilities was conducted in Liberia between 20 September and 8 November 2018. Facility data were combined with geospatial data and analysed in an online visualization platform. RESULTS: Data were collected from 51 of 52 surgical facilities. Nationally, 52.9 per cent of the population (2 392 000 of 4 525 000 people) had 2-h access to their closest surgical facility, whereas 41.1 per cent (1 858 000 people) and 48.6 per cent (2 199 000 people) had 2-h access to a facility meeting the personnel and equipment standards respectively. Six facilities performed all bellwether procedures; 38.7 per cent of the population (1 751 000 people) had 2-h access to one of these facilities. Bellwether-capable facilities were more likely to perform other essential surgical procedures (OR 3.13, 95 per cent c.i. 1.28 to 7.65; P = 0.012). These facilities delivered a median of 13.0 (i.q.r. 11.3-16.5) additional essential procedures. CONCLUSION: Population access to essential surgery is limited in Liberia; strategies to reduce travel times ought to be part of healthcare policy. Policymakers should also be aware that bellwether capability might not be a valid proxy for the full breadth of essential surgical care in low-income settings.

Barriers to increase surgical productivity in Sierra Leone: a qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE: To explore factors influencing surgical provider productivity and identify barriers against and opportunities to increase individual surgical productivity in Sierra Leone, in order to explain the observed increase in unmet surgical need from 92.2% to 92.7% and the decrease in surgical productivity to 1.7 surgical procedures per provider per week between 2012 and 2017. DESIGN AND METHODS: This explanatory qualitative study consisted of in-depth interviews about factors influencing surgical productivity in Sierra Leone. Interviews were analysed with a thematic network analysis and used to develop a conceptual framework. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: 21 surgical providers and hospital managers working in 12 public and private non-profit hospitals in all regions in Sierra Leone. RESULTS: Surgical providers in Sierra Leone experience a broad range of factors within and outside the health system that influence their productivity. The main barriers involve both patient and facility financial constraints, lack of equipment and supplies, weak regulation of providers and facilities and a small surgical workforce, which experiences a lack of recognition. Initiation of a Free Health Care Initiative for obstetric and paediatric care, collaborations with partners or non-governmental organisations, and increased training opportunities for highly motivated surgical providers are identified as opportunities to increase productivity. DISCUSSION: Broader nationwide health system strengthening is required to facilitate an increase in surgical productivity and meet surgical needs in Sierra Leone. Development of a national strategy for surgery, obstetrics and anaesthesia, including methods to reduce financial barriers for patients, improve supply-mechanisms and expand training opportunities for new and established surgical providers can increase surgical capacity. Establishment of legal frameworks and appropriate remuneration are crucial for sustainability and retention of surgical health workers.

Changes in surgical volume, workforce, and productivity in Sierra Leone between 2012 and 2017.

BACKGROUND: The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery recommends a minimum of 20 surgical specialists and 5,000 annual operations per 100,000 population by 2030. In 2012, Sierra Leone was far from reaching these targets. This study aimed to assess the changes in surgical activity, surgical workforce, and surgical productivity between 2012 and 2017. METHODS: A nationwide, retrospective mapping of surgical activity and workforce in 2012 was repeated in 2017. All 60 facilities performing comprehensive surgery in Sierra Leone in 2017 were identified and data was obtained from surgical records and through structured interviews with facility directors. Annual estimates were calculated and compared with 2012. RESULTS: The surgical workforce increased from 164.5 to 312.8 full-time positions. The annual volume of surgeries was enhanced by 15.6% (95% CI: 7.8-23.4%) from 24,152 to 27,928 (26,048-29,808) operations. With simultaneous population growth, this led to a decrease in surgical volume from 400 to 372 procedures per 100,000 population and an unmet operative need of 92.7%. The mean productivity of surgical providers went from 2.8 to 1.7 surgeries per week per full-time position. An increasing number of caesarean deliveries were performed in public institutions, by associate clinicians. CONCLUSION: The unmet need for surgery in Sierra Leone remains very high, despite an increase in the surgical workforce, subsidizing maternal healthcare, and initiation of a surgical task-sharing program. The decline in surgical productivity with simultaneous increases in the surgical workforce calls for further exploration of the barriers to access and delivery of surgical care in Sierra Leone.