Head and neck surgery global outreach: Ethics, planning, and impact.
Publication/Presentation Date
6-1-2021
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Head and neck surgical oncology and reconstruction are uniquely suited to address burdens of disease in underserved areas. Since these efforts are not well known in our specialty, we sought to understand global outreach throughout our society of surgeons.
METHODS: Survey distributed to members of the American Head and Neck Surgery involved in international humanitarian head and neck surgical outreach trips.
RESULTS: Thirty surgeons reported an average of seven trips to over 70 destinations. Identification of candidates, finances, on-site patient care, complications, long-term post-surgical care, ethics, and educational goals are reported. We report a success rate of 90% on 125 free flaps performed in these settings.
CONCLUSIONS: The effort to answer the call for alleviating the global burden of surgical disease is strong within our specialty. There is a shared focus on humanitarian effort and teaching. Ethics of high resource surgeries such as free flap reconstruction remains controversial.
Volume
43
Issue
6
First Page
1780
Last Page
1787
ISSN
1097-0347
Published In/Presented At
Luginbuhl, A., Kahue, C. N., Stewart, M., Curry, J. M., Weed, D., Zender, C., Netterville, J., & Zafereo, M. (2021). Head and neck surgery global outreach: Ethics, planning, and impact. Head & neck, 43(6), 1780–1787. https://doi.org/10.1002/hed.26643
Disciplines
Business Administration, Management, and Operations | Health and Medical Administration | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
PubMedID
33586258
Department(s)
Administration and Leadership
Document Type
Article