More people die after an operation than HIV, tuberculosis and malaria combined: study

A new study reveals that 4.2 million people die each year within 30 days of an operation. Half of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Surgical needs in LMICs are also important and researchers believe that if all patients in need were operated on, the number of postoperative deaths worldwide would increase to 6.1 million.

Researchers at the University of Birmingham published their badysis of the number of people who died within 30 days of surgery in a letter of inquiry to: The lancet. They estimate that more people die each year within 30 days of surgery than HIV, TB and malaria combined (2.97 million).

The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery has identified 313 million surgeries each year, but little is known about the quality of surgery globally because robust postoperative mortality rates are only available in 29 countries.

Researchers from the NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery at the University badyzed the information available to estimate the number of people deceased after an operation in the world, based on mortality rates , case mix and postoperative deaths adjusted for country income.

Dr. Dmitri Nepogodiev, a researcher at the University of Birmingham, commented: "Surgery has been the" neglected grandson "of global health and has received a fraction of the investments devoted to the treatment of infectious diseases such as malaria.

"Although not all postoperative deaths can be prevented, many can be avoided by investing more in research, training of staff, equipment and better hospital facilities, to prevent millions more people dying after surgery. surgical, the planned extension of access to surgery to improve the quality of surgery in the world ".

Professor Dion Morton, Barling Chair of Surgery at the University of Birmingham and Director of Clinical Research at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, commented: "Surgery saves lives and can transform the quality of life of patients, but this study shows that a large number of patients die in the immediate postoperative period.While efforts continue to increase access to surgery worldwide, it is also urgent to conduct research to improve the quality and safety of surgery. "

The researchers predict that the extension of surgical services to meet unmet needs would result in 1.9 million additional postoperative deaths each year in LMICs. Of the 4.2 million deaths, 7.7% of all deaths occur within 30 days of surgery. This figure is higher than any other cause of death in the world, with the exception of ischemic heart disease and stroke.

At present, about 4.8 billion people worldwide do not have timely access to safe and affordable surgery, and it is estimated that there is an unmet annual need 143 million procedures in PRFMs.

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University of Birmingham