First steps of laparoscopic surgery in a sub-Saharan African setting: a nine-month review at the Douala Gynaeco-Obstetric and Pediatric Hospital (Cameroon).

OBJECTIVES: To describe the first laparoscopic surgeries in a tertiary hospital in Cameroon. METHODS: We carried out a descriptive study at the Douala Gynaeco-Obstetric and Pediatric Hospital (DGOPH). We examined the files of the 45 patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery from November 1, 2015 to July 31, 2016. Descriptive statistics were computed for patients' characteristics and surgical parameters. RESULTS: Mean (SD) age was 36.8(11.9) years. Women made up 86.7% of the sample. Twelve patients (26.7%) had a previous laparotomy. Cash deposit (86.7%) was the main mode of payment. Thirty-two (71.1%) laparoscopies were gynaeco-obstetrical (GO) and 13 (28.9%) were digestive. Main indications were infertility (59.4%) and chronic cholecystitis (30.8%) for GO and digestive laparoscopies respectively. Mean (SD) durations were 89.1(57.5) and 55.5(41.0) minutes for digestive and GO laparoscopies respectively. Mean (SD) costs were 1065.4 (406.1) and 934.2 (657.0) USD for digestive and GO laparoscopies respectively. Mean (SD) lengths of hospital stays were 5.5 (2.5) and 5.5 (2.5) days for digestive and GO laparoscopies respectively. Local staff carried out all GO laparoscopies while foreign (Belgian) experts did digestive cases. Only one (2.2%) complication (colic perforation) was registered. CONCLUSION: The beginnings of laparoscopy at the DGOPH were successful thanks to strong local leadership and Belgian technical assistance.

Successful medical treatment of a hepatic pregnancy: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Hepatic pregnancy is a rare form of abdominal pregnancy, often documented only as case reports. CASE PRESENTATION: We report here the case of a 24-year-old African woman, gravida 4 para 3, presenting with right upper quadrant pains and metrorrhagia after amenorrhea of 8 weeks 5 days. Elements in favor of the diagnosis of hepatic pregnancy were her clinical presentation, the kinetics of ß-human chorionic gonadotropin titers, and the presence of a sub-hepatic mass on ultrasound. We successfully treated this patient with intramuscular methotrexate only. CONCLUSIONS: The interest of this case resides in the rarity of this condition and the therapeutic approach used. Clinicians should raise their index of suspicion for hepatic pregnancy when faced with females of reproductive age with such a clinical presentation.

[Treatment of uterine synechiae without hysteroscopy in a semiurban setting in Cameroon]. / Traitement des synéchies utérines en l'absence d'hystéroscopie en milieu semi-urbain au Cameroun.

We evaluated the outcome of treatment of uterine synechiae (or adhesions, also known as Asherman syndrome) by cervical dilatation and sequential estrogen and progestogen administration for three months. This retrospective cohort study examined records of 86 women with infertility or menstrual disorders or both and treated from October 2004 to November 2011 for synechiae diagnosed by hysterosalpingography. The data analyzed included age, presenting complaint, and treatment outcome. During the study period, 86 women were seen for uterine synechiae but only 81 files could be included. The patients' mean age was 25.52 (range: 19-40 years), with 37% in the age group of 25-29 years. Of these 82 women, 71 reported menstrual disorders and 60 infertility. After treatment, 11/60 (18%) became pregnant and 35/71 (49%) recovered normal menstrual profiles. The reference treatment for uterine synechiae is hysteroscopy, which yields good results. In poor settings, however, hysteroscopy remains inaccessible, and the old method of cervical dilation and sequential estrogen and progestogen therapy is an acceptable alternative.

[Analysis of operative indications and outcomes in 238 re-operations after abdominal surgery in an economically disadvantaged setting]. / Réinterventions de chirurgie abdominale en milieu défavorisé : indications et suites opératoires (238 cas).

AIM OF THE STUDY: We analyse aspects of re-operative abdominal surgery in an economically disadvantaged environment with respect to indications, operative findings, treatment modalities, and outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective chart review over a seven-year period of patients requiring re-operative surgery during the same hospitalization or within 30 days of initial surgery. RESULTS: During the study period, 7714 laparotomies were performed. Two hundred and seventy-seven (3.6%) required re-operation; of these, 238 charts (86%) were able to be reviewed. The decision for operative re-intervention was made mainly on the basis of clinical findings. Postoperative peritonitis (50.8%), adhesive bowel obstruction (23.9%), and intestinal fistula (10.9%) were the main indications for re-intervention. Complications occurred in 35% and included postoperative infection (n=70, 33%) and abdominal wall dehiscence (n=37, 15.5%). Mortality was 18% and increased significantly when the initial operative procedure was for peritonitis and re-operation was due to septic complications. CONCLUSION: In an economically disadvantaged environment, the re-operation rate after an abdominal surgery does not seem to be higher than that seen in series from developed countries, although there may be factors which bias this observation. The mortality rate for cases with postoperative peritonitis is high, but operative re-intervention based on clinical findings is still considered the favored strategy in our environment. Results may improve with better material medical conditions.