Mulago Hospital Achieves Milestone with 80 Life-Saving Brain Surgeries

Specialists at Mulago National Referral Hospital, alongside the Neurosurgical Society of Uganda, have marked a significant achievement by performing 80 successful and complex brain surgeries. This intensive two-week neurosurgical camp addressed critical conditions such as brain tumours, skull deformities, and hydrocephalus, offering life-saving procedures to a large number of patients.

The campaign was specifically designed to tackle the growing backlog of patients who had been waiting for specialized neurosurgical interventions. Procedures included cranioplasties, which repair skull defects, and tumour resections to remove abnormal growths, benefiting both adults and children.

A dedicated multidisciplinary team of nine neurosurgeons from Mulago, bolstered by five additional specialists from the Neurosurgical Society of Uganda, performed these intricate operations. They utilized advanced equipment, including surgical microscopes, to ensure high precision when operating on delicate brain and spinal structures.

This initiative highlights the hospital’s commitment to providing critical care, especially given the challenges of long waiting times for elective surgeries, often caused by a high volume of emergency cases, particularly those stemming from road traffic accidents. The surgeries were conducted free of charge, a stark contrast to the estimated Shs40 million to Shs60 million cost per procedure in private facilities.

The hospital plans to hold such surgical camps periodically to continue addressing the backlog and ensure patients receive timely and essential neurosurgical care. This effort represents one of the largest brain surgery campaigns undertaken in the country, offering hope and improved quality of life to many.

Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/mulago-performs-successful-80-life-saving-brain-surgeries-5568678