Safe Surgery in the Developing World

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Two thirds of the global population don’t have access to safe surgery, says a new study published in the journal The Lancet. Claudia Hammond asked one of the authors Andy Leather, Director of the King’s Centre for Global Health, what this lack of safe surgery means on the ground and what needs to be done to improve the situation. Neurosurgeon Henry Marsh’s memoir In his memoir, Do No Harm, brain surgeon Henry Marsh tells tales of a lifetime of doing operations, some of which go well and some less well. Henry Marsh explains to Claudia Hammond that it’s not the surgery itself that’s difficult, but deciding whether to operate in the first place. He also talks about his long standing work in Ukraine. Knitting Heart Valves in Bolivia In Bolivia, Aymara people are using the techniques they have used for decades to make devices which mend holes in the hearts of small children. Congenital heart problems are 10 times more common in Bolivia than in other countries, partly due to a lack of monitoring during pregnancy and poor nutrition combined with the high altitude, which makes it harder for the heart to fix itself. Ignacio de los Reyes reports from La Paz. With studio guest family doctor Dr Ann Robinson. (Picture: Operating theatre. Credit: Getty Images)