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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2020 Jul 1.
Published in final edited form as: World J Surg. 2019 Jul;43(7):1644–1652. doi: 10.1007/s00268-019-04963-7

Table 2:

Comparison of national annual estimated rates of surgical procedures performed in Ghana for the elderly and patients below 65 years

Patients >65 years Patients <65 years
N Rate* N Rate**
Essential surgical procedures 11,888 1295 153,645 594
General surgery (basic, intermediate) 6,113 666 32,032 124
 Herniorrhaphy and hydroceiectomy 2,363 257 14,680 57
 Superficial abscess drainage, wound debridement 965 105 6,928 30
 Laparotomy for peritonitis (e.g., perforated viscus, appendicitis, cholecystitis) 216 24 4,597 19
 Release of urinary obstruction 2,416 263 1,454 14
 Male circumcision 30 3 3,092 12
 Bowel obstruction 105 11 943 4
 Colostomy 19 2 336 1
Cataract surgery 2,109 230 1,728 7
Dental procedures 1,867 203 19,619 76
Trauma (basic, intermediate) 1,791 195 25,132 97
 Skin and soft tissue procedures 494 54 12,278 49
 Orthopedic procedures 1,144 125 11,481 48
 Tube thoracostomy 52 6 473 2
 Trauma laparotomy 26 3 624 2
 Burr hole 44 5 198 1
 Surgical airway 30 3 78 0
Ob-gyn (basic, intermediate) 8 1 74,083 286
Congenital conditions (basic, intermediate) 0 0 1,051 4
Other surgical procedures 4,119 449 44,933 174
General Surgical procedures 1,104 120 9,095 35
 Excision biopsy for soft tissue masses 329 36 3,748 14
 Procedures for breast conditions (including cancer) 99 11 1,882 7
 Procedures for other benign general surgical conditions† 556 61 3,110 12
 Procedures for gastrointestinal and other general surgical cancers 121 13 356 1
Head/Neck procedures 1,007 110 10,985 42
 Foreign body removal 891 97 8,806 34
 Procedures for other benign head/neck conditions‡ 63 7 2,007 8
 Procedures for head/neck cancer 53 6 172 1
Miscellaneous minor procedures# 563 61 4,983 19
Advanced trauma and orthopedic procedures 509 55 5,102 20
 Open reduction +/− internal fixation 299 33 3,143 12
 Thoracotomy 0 0 15 0
 Craniotomy 7 1 210 1
 Tendon repairs/release of contractures 20 2 480 2
 Other advanced orthopedic procedures 183 20 1,253 5
Ob-gyn procedures 405 44 11,323 44
 Procedures for benign Ob-gyn conditions 224 24 9,728 38
 Procedures for gynecologic cancers 181 20 1,595 6
Urological procedures (including cancers) 332 36 2,324 9
Other ophthalmology procedures§ 199 22 1,122 4
Total 16,007 1744 198,578 768
*

Rate per 100,000 patients ≥65 years;

**

Rate per 100,000 patients <65 years

†

includes goiter, hemorrhoids, rectal prolapse, diabetic foot and toe gangrene secondary to critical limb ischemia.

‡

includes neck abscess, sialolithiasis, benign parotid masses, chronic sinusitis, epistaxis.

#

includes excision of ingrowing toenails, intra-articular injections for osteoarthritis, wound dressing under sedation, ear irrigation.

§

includes pterygium excisions, tarsorrhaphy, trabeculectomy and anterior chamber washouts.