A pilot program of mass surgery weeks for treatment of hydrocele due to lymphatic filariasis in central Nigeria.
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.
Thomas
Gail
G
The Carter Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30307, USA.
Richards
Frank O
FO
Eigege
Abel
A
Dakum
Nuhu K
NK
Azzuwut
Martin P
MP
Sarki
John
J
Gontor
Ibrahim
I
Abimiku
Jacob
J
Ogah
Gladys
G
Jindau
Munirah Y
MY
Jiya
Jonathan Y
JY
Miri
Emmanuel S
ES
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