Hand Surgery in Cambodia.

J Hand Microsurg · Jan 2021 · Review

Rajaratnam V, Rahman NA, Kim YJ, Lam WL, Gollogly J

Childrens' Surgical Centre, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Hand & Upper Extremity

SUMMARY — THE REDUCTIONThis paper describes hand surgery development in Cambodia, where a structured 5-year community-oriented training program produced local surgeons able to meet basic needs, notably in brachial plexus surgery, supported by regional volunteers.
Abstract, as published

As a lower middle-income nation, Cambodia has made significant improvements in basic health but hand surgery development continues to lag behind due to scarcity of trained and quality surgical manpower. Most of the hand surgery development locally has been due to surgical volunteers from Asia, Europe, and the United States. The introduction of a structured and systematic community-oriented hand surgery training over a 5-year period was successful in producing local surgeons to meet the basic needs of hand surgery patients. Brachial plexus surgery has benefited significantly, with local surgeons able to independently manage cases with minimal support. With the expansion of local surgical manpower and guidance, motivation, and assistance of regional hand surgeons, the future of hand surgery in Cambodia looks promising.

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