Establishment of a urology service in a developing country: an observational study of outcomes in transurethral prostate resection procedures in Vanuatu

Publication date: 27 April 2015 Source:The Lancet, Volume 385, Supplement 2 Author(s): Ben Namdarian , Stuart Willder , Geoff Steele , Richard Leona , Richard Grills Background The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) via the Pacific Island Program (PIP) administer yearly urology visits to Vanuatu to perform surgery and deliver training in the management of urological conditions. In conjunction with the Vanuatu Ministry of Health a self-sufficient urology service has developed, specifically performing transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) procedures. We review the TURP outcomes for the PIP and detail the development and outcomes of the first independent TURP service in the Pacific. Methods With retrospective local and RACS medical records, an observational study was performed of TURP procedures undertaken in Port Vila Central Hospital, Vanuatu over 6 years. Outcome measures comprised significant morbidity, prolonged post-operative admission, blood transfusion, TUR syndrome, successful trial of void, postoperative urinary incontinence, and perioperative mortality. Comparisons were made with univariate analysis between the RACS, local team, and international standardised values, with t-tests for continuous variables, and with Fisher's exact test for binary variables. Findings Since 2009, a total of 117 TURP procedures were performed. 84 by the PIP team and following training both in Vanuatu and Australia; the local team independently performed 33 ...
Source: The Lancet - Category: Journals (General) Source Type: research