Treatment of congenital anomalies in a missionary hospital in Bangladesh: results of 17 paediatric surgical missions.
OBJECTIVE
We report 17 years of experience in a missionary hospital with decreased facilities in Bangladesh. Our interest was directed at children with congenital malformations since they live in a society where the exclusion of abnormal children is common. A better treatment for these children offers them a better future.


METHODS
Bangladesh is among the most densely populated countries in the world: its population ranges from 142 to 159 million, and it is one of the poorest nations in the world. From 1991 to 2008 our Italian pediatric surgical team performed 17 5 weeks missions in a missionary hospital in Khulna, Bangladesh, during the months of January and February.


RESULTS
A total of 1556 patients underwent surgery, mostly for severe congenital anomalies. The infection rates were very low: 2-3%; the mortality rate was 0.4% for all the operations.


CONCLUSIONS
Good pre-operative preparation and assistance, assurance of cyclical follow-up and a trained surgical team allowed the successful treatment of complex malformations in a missionary hospital with modest services.
Del Rossi
Carmine
C
Department of Paediatric Surgery, University Hospital of Parma, Parma, Italy. delrossi52@hotmail.com
Fontechiari
Simona
S
Casolari
Emilio
E
Fainardi
Valentina
V
Caravaggi
Francesca
F
Lombardi
Laura
L
D000293:Adolescent; D001459:Bangladesh; D002648:Child; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008493:Medical Missions; D066189:Missionaries; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011203:Poverty; D011300:Preoperative Care; D016896:Treatment Outcome