title: [General surgery in a rural hospital in the State of Quintana Roo, Mexico].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The general surgeon maintains extraordinary validity worldwide, especially in countries like the United States, Canada, India, and continents such as Australia and Africa. In addition to their role as a general surgeon, they assist with surgical pathologies in rural areas where there is generally a lack of technology to carry out complicated procedures. Therefore, we undertook this study to determine the number and type of surgical procedures carried out in a rural hospital with three general surgeons, as well as to determine morbidity and respective mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was retrospective and longitudinal, using descriptive statistics during a 5.5-year period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the period of June 1999 to December 2004, a total of 651 (100%) surgical procedures were carried out. There were 351 males (53%) and 300 females (47%) with average age of 28.5 +/- 16.0 years. There were 408 (63%) minor surgical procedures accomplished in the operating room: 150 (45%) for females with average age of 25.8 +/- 13.8 years old and 258 (55%) for males with average age of 27.7 +/- 15.5 years old. There were 243 major surgical procedures (37%): for females there were 150 (60%) with average age of 28.4 +/- 11.8 years old and for males there were 93 (40%) with average age of 29.5 +/- 16.6 years old [morbidity, six cases (0.9%) and mortality, two cases (0.3%)].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The demand for surgery in rural areas is not different from the surgery carried out in large cities, although there are limitations. It is important in this regard to adequately prepare the general surgeon in Mexico.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Cirugía, Hospital Integral Playa del Carmen. gmopadron@salud.gob.mx
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Padrón-Arredondo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006780:Hospitals, Rural / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*