Long-Term Outcome of Sacrococcygeal Teratoma: A Controlled Cohort Study of Urinary Tract and Bowel Dysfunction and Predictors of Poor Outcome.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate urinary tract and bowel function in children with sacrococcygeal teratoma, compare the findings with healthy children, and assess predictors of poor outcome. STUDY DESIGN: This was a controlled cohort study of all patients operated for sacrococcygeal teratoma at a tertiary pediatric surgery center, 2000-2013. Urinary and bowel function were compared with healthy control patients matched for age and sex. Perioperative and histopathologic risk factors were analyzed. RESULTS: In total, 17 patients with sacrococcygeal teratoma and 85 healthy control patients were included in the study. Patients with sacrococcygeal teratoma more often were reported to have uncontrolled voiding (12% vs 0%, P < .01), difficulty in bladder emptying (24% vs 0%, P < .001), and pyelonephritis (18% vs 1%, P < .05). Constipation was more common in patients with sacrococcygeal teratoma (47 % vs 14%, P < .05), but the overall bowel function score was equal in the 2 groups. Children with large tumors and immature histology were more likely to have a dysfunctional outcome (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Uncontrolled voiding, difficulty in bladder emptying, pyelonephritis, and constipation were more common in patients with sacrococcygeal teratoma than in healthy children. Dysfunctional outcome was more prevalent in children with large and immature teratomas.

Cryptorchidism in Sweden: A Nationwide Study of Prevalence, Operative Management, and Complications.

OBJECTIVES: To review the cumulative prevalence, operative management, and complications of treatment for cryptorchidism in Sweden. STUDY DESIGN: A nationwide observational study from longitudinal register data of all Swedish-born boys 0-18 years of age, diagnosed with cryptorchidism from 2001 to 2014. Primary outcomes were occurrence and age at primary surgery. Secondary outcomes included type of procedure and surgical site infection. RESULTS: Of 20 375 boys diagnosed with cryptorchidism in 2001-2014, 12 766 were surgically treated. The cumulative childhood prevalence was 1.8% (95% CI, 1.5-2.0), with a higher prevalence in boys born prematurely, small for gestational age, or with low birth weight. The median age at treatment decreased from 6.2 years in 2001 to 3.4 years in 2014 (P < .001). Still, 94.1% (95% CI, 92.7-95.6) had surgery after the recommended 1 year of age in 2014. Variations in age at surgery between Swedish counties were great (range, 2.9-5.9 years of age). There were no deaths within 30 days after surgery and the frequency of surgical site infection was low (1.4%; 95% CI, 1.1-1.6). CONCLUSIONS: The cumulative childhood prevalence of cryptorchidism was high, and complications were rare. Few boys underwent surgery in a timely manner according to clinical guidelines, and standards of care varied considerably across the country. Further research and collective actions are needed to improve the detection and management of congenital cryptorchidism.

Distance to hospital and utilization of surgical services in Haiti: do children, delivering mothers, and patients with emergent surgical conditions experience greater geographical barriers to surgical care?

BACKGROUND: An inverse relationship between healthcare utilization and distance to care has been previously described. The purpose of this study was to evaluate this effect related to emergency and essential surgical care in central Haiti. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of operative logbooks from the Clinique Bon Sauveur in Cange, Haiti, from 2008 to 2010. We used Geographic Information Systems to map the home locations of all patients. Spearman's correlation was used to determine the relationship between surgical utilization and distance, and a multivariate linear regression model identified characteristics associated with differences in distances traveled to care. RESULTS: The highest annual surgical utilization rate was 184 operations/100,000 inhabitants. We found a significant inverse correlation between surgical utilization rate and distance from residence to hospital (rs = -0.68, p = 0.02). The median distance from residence to hospital was 55.9 km. Pediatric patients lived 10.1% closer to the hospital than adults (p < 0.01), and distance from residence to hospital was not significantly different between men and women (p = 0.25). Patients who received obstetric or gynecologic surgery originated 7.8% closer to the hospital than patients seeking other operations (p < 0.01), and patients who received emergent surgical care originated 24.8% closer to the hospital than patients who received elective surgery (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Utilization of surgical services was low and inversely related to distance from residence to hospital in rural areas of central Haiti. Children and patients receiving obstetric, gynecologic or emergent surgery lived significantly closer to the hospital, and these groups may need special attention to ensure adequate access to surgical care.

Ratio of cesarean deliveries to total operations and surgeon nationality are potential proxies for surgical capacity in central Haiti.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization has a standardized tool to assess surgical capacity in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), but it is often resource- and time-intensive. There currently exists no simple, evidence-based measure of surgical capacity in these settings. The proportion of cesarean deliveries in regard to the total operations (C/O ratio) has been suggested as a way to assess quickly the capacity for emergency and essential surgery in LMICs. This ratio has been estimated to be between 23.3 and 41.5 % in LMICs, but the tool's utility has not been replicated. METHODS: We reviewed operative logbooks for the Partners In Health/Zanmi Lasante hospital in Cange, Haiti. We recorded data on all consecutive surgical patients from July 2008 to 2010 and calculated the C/O ratio by dividing the number of cesarean deliveries by the total number of operations performed. We also analyzed surgical data by surgeon nationality to provide additional information about local surgical capacity. RESULTS: A total of 3,641 operations were performed between 2008 and 2010. The C/O ratio decreased significantly between 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 (13.4 vs. 10.7 %, p = 0.001) as the surgical volume and resources increased. Nationality analysis demonstrated that Haitian surgeons were able to provide a spectrum of general and specialist surgical care. CONCLUSIONS: In its inherent relation to essential surgical procedures and to the overall rate of cesarean deliveries in the region, the C/O ratio can provide an accessible assessment of regional surgical resources. In Haiti, the change in the C/O ratio demonstrated a relative increase in surgical capacity from 2008 to 2010. An additional analysis of surgeon nationality ensured that C/O ratio estimates more accurately reflect local practitioner activity, but deficiencies in the regional capacity to address the local burden of surgical disease may still exist.

Urologic disease in a resource-poor country.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the role that urologic disease plays within central Haiti could lead to the development of sustainable and regionally appropriate urologic care. We aim to document the prevalence of urologic surgical disease presenting for treatment in central Haiti. METHODS: The present study is based on a retrospective review of surgical case logs at five Partners in Health and Zanmi Lasante hospitals in central Haiti. Data were collected from June 30, 2009, through July 29, 2010, and included patient demographics, disease processes, interventions required, surgeon name, and surgeon training (urologic trained versus non-urologic trained). RESULTS: Urologic surgical disease comprised 498/5,539 (9.0 %) of all surgical cases in central Haiti from July 2009-July 2010. A total of 492 diagnoses and 498 urologic procedures on 469 patients were recorded. Most common diagnoses included hydrocele (33.3 %), phimosis (23.0 %), benign prostatic hyperplasia (10.8 %), and cryptorchidism (7.3 %). Hydrocelectomy was the most commonly performed procedure (160/498, 32.1 %), followed by circumcision (117/498, 23.4 %) and open prostatectomy (38/498, 7.6 %). Surgeon training (urologic versus non-urologic) was determined for 360/498 (72.3 %) of surgical cases. Urologic trained surgeons performed 55/360 (15.3 %) of all surgical procedures. Among patients who underwent prostatectomy, urology surgeons performed 14/31 (45.2 %) of open prostatectomies, and non-urology surgeons performed 17/31 (54.8 %). Urologists performed all transurethral resections of the prostate (9 vs. 0; p = 0.0051). CONCLUSIONS: Urologic surgical diseases comprise a substantial source of morbidity for patients in central Haiti. Understanding the scale and scope of urologic disease is important in developing health systems to adequately address the regional burden of surgical disease in limited-resource settings.

The impact of natural disaster on pediatric surgical delivery: a review of Haiti six months before and after the 2010 earthquake.

UNLABELLED: Little is known about pediatric surgical disease in resource-poor countries. This study documents the surgical care of children in central Haiti and demonstrates the influence of the 2010 earthquake on pediatric surgical delivery. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of operations performed at Partners in Health/Zanmi Lasante hospitals in central Haiti. RESULTS: Of 2,057 operations performed prior to the earthquake, 423 were pediatric (20.6%). Congenital anomalies were the most common operative indication (159/423 operations; 33.5%). Pediatric surgical volume increased significantly after the earthquake, with 670 operations performed (23.0% post-earthquake v. 20.6% pre-earthquake, p=.03). Trauma and burns became the most common surgical diagnoses after the disaster, and operations for non-traumatic conditions decreased significantly (p<.01). CONCLUSION: Congenital anomalies represent a significant proportion of baseline surgical need in Haiti. A natural disaster can change the nature of pediatric surgical practice by significantly increasing demand for operative trauma care for months afterward.