title: A pilot program of mass surgery weeks for treatment of hydrocele due to lymphatic filariasis in central Nigeria.
abstract: In a pilot program of mass surgery weeks (MSW) to provide hydrocelectomy services to men with filarial scrotal hydrocele, local general practitioners performed 425 surgical repairs in 301 men in five MSW in three rural Nigerian community hospitals between 2002 and 2005. The most common (94%) procedure used was the eversion technique, which was most familiar to the practitioners. Postoperative complications included hematoma (3.7%) and infection (3%), and there was one death from infection in an elderly man with previously unrecognized diabetes. In 115 patients (38%) followed for 1 to 3 years, the hydrocele recurrence rate was 7%. The eversion technique gives an acceptable outcome, and MSW are safe and effective if strict attention is paid to preoperative screening of candidates and asepsis.
authors.affiliation: The Carter Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30307, USA.
authors.forename: Gail
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Frank O
authors.initials: FO
authors.lastname: Richards
authors.forename: Abel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eigege
authors.forename: Nuhu K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Dakum
authors.forename: Martin P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Azzuwut
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sarki
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gontor
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Abimiku
authors.forename: Gladys
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ogah
authors.forename: Munirah Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Jindau
authors.forename: Jonathan Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Jiya
authors.forename: Emmanuel S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Miri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004605:Elephantiasis, Filarial / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D006848:Testicular Hydrocele / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000601:surgery*; D013521:Urologic Surgical Procedures, Male; D055815:Young Adult