To determine the prevalence of delayed surgery, identify related factors, and explore barriers and facilitators of timely surgery among pediatric Wilms tumor patients at Mulago Hospital, with a focus on specific systemic challenges.
Key Findings:
Delayed surgery is prevalent among pediatric Wilms tumor patients, significantly impacting survival rates.
Factors contributing to delays include limited theatre space, workforce shortages, and patient residence, each critically affecting timely intervention.
Survival rates for Wilms tumor in Uganda are notably lower than in high-income countries, primarily due to surgical delays.
Interpretation:
The study highlights critical barriers to timely surgical intervention in pediatric Wilms tumor cases, emphasizing the urgent need for systemic improvements in healthcare delivery in LMICs to enhance patient outcomes.
Limitations:
The study may not capture all cases of delayed surgery due to reliance on hospital records, potentially underestimating the prevalence.
Qualitative insights may be limited by the subjective nature of interviews, which could affect the reliability of the findings.
Conclusion:
Addressing the identified barriers is essential to improve surgical outcomes and survival rates for pediatric Wilms tumor patients in Uganda.
