HIV positive patients and the surgeon.

BACKGROUND

Guidelines for the surgical treatment of HIV infected patients are lacking in Nigeria. The Social stigma of the infection and fears of contracting the disease discourage healthcare providers from treating the patients.

OBJECTIVE

To present cases treated by surgeons and thereby stimulate interest on the need to offer these patients needed treatment.

METHODS

A written questionnaire was sent to surgeons based in the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital who have operated on patients known preoperativly to have HIV. Information sought included age, gender, indication for surgery, operation done, outcome of operation, indication for HIV test and information given to the patient after the test.

RESULTS

a total of 26 HIV infected patients received surgical treatment in private and company clinics and there were 18 females and 8 males aged between 8 and 48 years. Most of these were in the 2nd to 4th decades. The operations were elective, emergency or urgent. Pregnancy-related indications predominated. Three patients volunteered their status. One when told she was HIV positive declined a planned right nephrectomy for hypernephroma. Nineteen patiens were discharged from hospital well. Three patients and parents of two were informed by the surgeons that they were HIV positive preoperatively. Five patients died postoperatively.

CONCLUSION

There is need to promote awareness on the obligation of suregeons to offer these patients surgical treatment. A protocol and adequate facilities for prophylaxis for health care workers exposed to infection from patients should be established in Nigeria.