Navigating the Challenges in Setting Up a Sustainable Open-Heart Surgery Unit in a Resource-Constrained Environment in Northern Nigeria: Model and Strategies.

Introduction: Cardiac surgery requiring cardiopulmonary bypass had been unavailable in Northern Nigeria and the federal capital territory of Nigeria regularly. Several attempts in the past at setting up this service in a self-sustaining manner in Northern Nigeria had failed. This paper is a contrasting response to an earlier publication that emphasized the less-than-desirable role played by international cardiac surgery missions in the evolution of a sustainable open-heart surgery program in Nigeria.

Median Sternotomy as a Useful Adjunct to Anterior Cervicothoracic Spine Decompression and Fixation: A Plea for Its Popularity among Spine Surgeons in West Africa.

Direct anterior approach to the cervicothoracic spine (C7-T4) for surgery can be challenging via a standard anterior cervical incision as a result of the important neurovascular structures crowding the cervicothoracic junction. Where indicated, median sternotomy provides improved access to this region of the spine for interventions. From the paucity of published literature in West Africa, this adjunct appears to be quite unpopular among spine surgeons in our sub-region.

Intrathoracic Transposition of a Pedicled Latissimus Dorsi Muscle Flap for Complicated Chronic Empyema Thoracis: A Plea for its Popularity in our Subregion.

Introduction: Empyema thoracis is a debilitating disease that still constitutes a significant burden among thoracic surgical diseases in our environment. It sometimes occurs secondary to ruptured lung abscess with varying degrees of lung destruction and bronchopleural fistula.

Case Report: A 65-year-old woman presented to our unit with a two-month history of cough which subsequently became productive of purulent sputum and posture-dependent, and fever, with progressive dyspnea on exertion.

Prognostic Factors in the Management of Empyema Thoracis in Northern Nigeria.

Background: Empyema thoracis portrays pleural effusion with demonstrable actively multiplying bacteria. It is a significant cause of morbidity, and commonly complicates parapneumonic effusions. It is important to identify those factors that can be used to prognosticate the outcome of its management in our locality so that those that are modifiable could be applied to improve management outcomes.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on surgical practice, training, and research in Nigeria.

Introduction: the rising rate of SARS-CoV-2 infections has caused perceptible strain on the global health system. Indeed, this disease is also a litmus test for the resilience of the structures in the African health system including surgery. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on surgical practice, training and research in Nigeria.