SynthesisBMJ global health2019
Impact of short-term reconstructive surgical missions: a systematic review.
Synthesis in BMJ global health, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
27 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Patient Follow-up After Orthopaedic Outreach Trips - Do We Know Whether Patients are Improving?World journal of surgery · 2022Pooled it
- Systematic review of low-income and middle-income country perceptions of visiting surgical teams from high-income countries.BMJ global health · 2022Pooled it
- Pooled it
- The role of clubfoot training programmes in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review.Tropical doctor · 2020Pooled it
- A Comparative Study of Cleft Management in Different Economic Settings: United States Versus Guatemala.The Cleft palate-craniofacial journal : official publication of the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association · 2026Article
- Beyond Good Intentions: A Justice-Based Critique of Short-Term Medical Missions.Journal of religion and health · 2026Article
- Health-Related Quality of Life and Social Reintegration Indicators Following Reconstructive Surgery: A Prospective Observational Study.World journal of surgery · 2025Observational
- Extremity and Mandibular Reconstruction After Gunshot Trauma-Orthoplastic Strategies from Five Years of Humanitarian Missions in a Resource-Limited Setting.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Establishing a Microsurgical Practice in a Limited Resource African Setting: The Kapsowar Hospital Experience.Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open · 2024Article
- A Cosmopolitan Argument for Temporary "Diagonal" Short-Term Surgical Missions as a Component of Surgical Systems Strengthening.Global health, science and practice · 2024Article
- Implementation of an electronic health record system during global surgical outreach: A prospective evaluation of success and sustainability.World journal of surgery · 2024Article
- Colonisation and its aftermath: reimagining global surgery.BMJ global health · 2024Review
- "Enhancing equitable impact: ethical, legal, and sustainable approaches in short-term surgical outreach for global child health".Frontiers in pediatrics · 2024Review
- Article
- The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Reconstructive Surgery and Training Programs in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Cross-Sectional Survey.World journal of plastic surgery · 2024Article
- Building Sustainable Reconstructive Microsurgery in Countries with Limited Resources: The Rwandan Experience.Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open · 2023Article
- The state of cardiac surgery in Ethiopia.JTCVS open · 2023Article
- Capacity Building During Short-Term Surgical Outreach Trips: A Review of What Guidelines Exist.World journal of surgery · 2023Review
- Hand Surgery Outreach-From Short-Term "Missions" to Capacity Building.The Journal of hand surgery · 2022Review
- Influence of patient-related factors on intraoperative blood loss during double opposing Z-plasty Furlow palatoplasty and buccal fat pad coverage: A prospective study.Journal of clinical and experimental dentistry · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionShort-term missions providing patients in low-income countries with reconstructive surgery are often criticised because evidence of their value is lacking. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of short-term reconstructive surgical missions in low-income and middle-income countries.
methodsA systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. We searched five medical databases from inception up to 2 July 2018. Original studies of short-term reconstructive surgical missions were included, which reported data on patient safety measurements, health gains of individual patients and sustainability. Data were combined to generate overall outcomes, including overall complication rates.
resultsOf 1662 identified studies, 41 met full inclusion criteria, which included 48 546 patients. The overall study quality according to Oxford CEBM and GRADE was low. Ten studies reported a minimum of 6 months' follow-up, showing a follow-up rate of 56.0% and a complication rate of 22.3%. Twelve studies that did not report on duration or follow-up rate reported a complication rate of 1.2%. Fifteen out of 20 studies (75%) that reported on follow-up also reported on sustainable characteristics.
conclusionsEvidence on the patient outcomes of reconstructive surgical missions is scarce and of limited quality. Higher complication rates were reported in studies which explicitly mentioned the duration and rate of follow-up. Studies with a low follow-up quality might be under-reporting complication rates and overestimating the positive impact of missions. This review indicates that missions should develop towards sustainable partnerships. These partnerships should provide quality aftercare, perform outcome research and build the surgical capacity of local healthcare systems. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42018099285.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.