Paediatric cardiac anaesthesia in a developing country

During the week of October 15-24, 1995 a team of 65 medical, anaesthesiology, surgical, nursing and paramedical personnel travelled to Guatemala City, Guatemala to perform cardiac surgery on children with complex congenital and acquired valvular heart disease. During this mission 42 patients had their lesions surgically repaired. Cardiopulmonary bypass was required in 36 cases. There were no anaesthetic or surgical deaths. All six patients who did not require cardiopulmonary bypass were extubated in the operating room. Of the patients who required cardiopulmonary bypass, 23 were extubated in the operating room (64%). There was no intraoperative anaesthetic morbidity nor postoperative respiratory complications. No patient was reintubated after planned extubation. Cardiac surgery in paediatric age patients can safely be performed in developing countries if close attention is paid to proper patient selection and one maintains the standards of care practised in developed countries.