Outpatient surgery in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Cervicofacial Surgery: experience feedback from Sylvanus Olympio University Hospital of Lome

Abstract

Context & objective. Although outpatient surgery offers a number of advantages, very little is known about it. The aim of this study was to assess the epidemiological profile of outpatient surgical procedures. Methods. This was a descriptive documentary series of patients who underwent outpatient surgery during the period from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2022, in the Department of Otolaryngology and Cervico-Facial Surgery of the Sylvanus Olympio University Hospital Center in Lomé. The operating room register and patient records were used as data sources. Results. Out of a total of 1436 surgical procedures and explorations performed, only 408 patients benefited from ambulatory surgery, i.e. a frequency of 28.4%. The M/F sex ratio was 1.5. The mean age was 9 ± 10 years, with extremes of 3 months and 83 years. Children aged 2-5 years accounted for 51% of cases. Esophagoscopy for foreign body extraction was the most frequently performed procedure (62.5%), followed by adenoidectomy (19.4%). Explorations for foreign body extraction were unscheduled, accounting for 75.7% of cases. The coin was the most frequently extracted foreign body, accounting for 59.2%. Conclusion. Due to the absence of a regulatory and legal framework in Togo, outpatient surgery is struggling to get off the ground in our department. The procedures performed are still at an embryonic stage.

Received: September 2nd, 2024
Accepted: April 4th, 2025

https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/aamed.v18i3.17