Establishing a Microsurgical Practice in a Limited Resource African Setting: The Kapsowar Hospital Experience.

Background: Microsurgical technique is still not readily available in many low- and middle-income countries. Few works in the scholarly literature describe the establishment of microsurgical practice on the African continent, and there are virtually no descriptions of the financial aspects of free flap performance by locally staffed teams in sub-Saharan Africa. The Kapsowar Hospital is a hospital in rural Kenya with 2 plastic and reconstructive surgeons certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and has recently expanded clinical practice to include microsurgical procedures.

The Burden of Plastic Surgery in Rural Kenya: The Kapsowar Hospital Experience.

Purpose: Both governmental and nongovernmental training programs are expanding efforts to train the next generation of plastic surgeons who will work in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Sufficient training is dependent on acquiring the appropriate skillset for these contexts. Few studies have characterized the spectrum of practice of plastic surgeons in LMICs and their relative disparity.

The Pattern and Profile of Orofacial Clefts in Somaliland: A Review of 40 Consecutive Cleft Lip and Palate Surgical Camps.

Introduction: Somaliland is an autonomously run country that is not internationally recognized. As such, it has been largely excluded by global health development programs despite being the world's fourth poorest country. The purpose of this study was to provide the first known description of the pattern and clinical profile of patients with cleft lip and palate from this nation.

Cleft Lip and Palate Surgery at a Rural African Hospital: A 13-Year Experience From Western Kenya.

Introduction: Most studies on the treatment of cleft lip and palate (CLP) in low-income and middle-income countries have reported on the experience of urban centers or surgical mission trips to rural locations. There is a paucity of literature on the experience of local teams providing orofacial cleft surgery in rural Sub-Saharan Africa. This study reports the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of cleft surgery performed by an all-local team in rural Kenya.

Hospital-based plastic surgery volunteerism: a resident's international experience.

The purpose of this presentation is to describe an American plastic surgery resident's experience working for an academic year in a district-level general hospital in rural Kenya. The operative experience, educational value, and cultural adaptation over the custom-designed year are discussed. Furthermore, the logistics and ethics of picking a location, adjusting to the milieu, and treating patients are evaluated.