Resident, Department of Maxillo-Facial Surgery, Sorbonne Université, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France.
Resident, Department of Maxillo-Facial Surgery and Stomatology, Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD), Hôpital Le Dantec, Dakar, Sénégal.
J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2021 Oct;79(10):1999.e1-1999.e9. doi: 10.1016/j.joms.2021.05.011. Epub 2021 May 18.
Meeting with local needs of low- and middle-income countries during maxillofacial humanitarian mission is not easy. This article aimed to report on 5 years of experience in humanitarian maxillofacial surgery missions. In addition, several key points for best practices and meeting the medical needs of local populations are discussed.
In this retrospective case series, all medical charts of patients managed during humanitarian maxillofacial surgery missions organized within the department of maxillofacial surgery of Le Dantec Hospital (Senegal) were analyzed. Disease characteristics, treatments modality, and outcomes were reviewed. Moreover, missions planning and costs were studied.
Between 2015 and 2018, 5 humanitarian missions were organized totalizing 177 patients, one-third of which were treated surgically. Tumors (35%) and sequelae from previous surgeries, cancrum oris or trauma (24%) were the most frequently treated disorders. Most patients were treated with free flap reconstructions (35%). Postoperative complications were observed for only 3 patients (5%). With a median follow-up of 13 months, no sequelae requiring specific treatment were observed. The estimated total cost for each mission was $39,000.
In order to benefit both the locals and the volunteers, humanitarian maxillofacial missions should be carefully planned and volunteers appropriately prepared. Other keys to the success of such missions are setting up training and support programs, reflecting upon ethical considerations, understanding local cultural customs and ensuring mutual respect with the locals. Frequent self-evaluation and long-term mission sustainability are critical. Finally, mission costs should be evaluated.
在颌面人道主义任务中满足中低收入国家的当地需求并不容易。本文旨在报告 5 年来人道主义颌面外科任务的经验。此外，还讨论了满足当地人群医疗需求的一些最佳实践和要点。
在这项回顾性病例系列研究中，分析了在塞内加尔 Le Dantec 医院颌面外科部门组织的人道主义颌面外科任务中管理的所有患者的医疗图表。回顾了疾病特征、治疗方式和结果。此外，还研究了任务规划和成本。
2015 年至 2018 年期间，共组织了 5 次人道主义任务，共有 177 名患者，其中三分之一接受了手术治疗。肿瘤（35%）和先前手术的后遗症、口坏疽或创伤（24%）是最常治疗的疾病。大多数患者接受游离皮瓣重建（35%）。仅 3 名患者（5%）出现术后并发症。中位随访 13 个月，未观察到需要特定治疗的后遗症。每次任务的估计总成本为 39,000 美元。
为了使当地人和志愿者都受益，人道主义颌面任务应精心规划，志愿者应适当准备。此类任务成功的其他关键因素包括建立培训和支持计划、反思伦理考虑、了解当地文化习俗以及确保与当地人相互尊重。频繁的自我评估和长期任务可持续性至关重要。最后，应评估任务成本。
