Maputo performs 12 biliary and pancreatic procedures without open surgery
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Agência de Informação de Moçambique
Maputo Central Hospital performed 12 ERCP procedures during the first week of activity of its new unit, strengthening treatment of biliary and pancreatic diseases in Mozambique. The technique can notably remove stones without external incision and could reduce patient transfers abroad, according to AIM.
Maputo Central Hospital (HCM) performed 12 endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedures during the first week of activity of its new unit, enabling conditions of the bile ducts and pancreas to be treated without external incision. Half of the procedures involved pancreatic conditions and the other half stones in the bile ducts, said Luzmira Dimande of HCM's gastroenterology department to the Mozambique Information Agency (AIM).
ERCP combines upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with fluoroscopy, a radiological imaging technique, to access the bile ducts and pancreas. Before the unit opened, patients requiring this type of procedure were generally referred to facilities abroad after assessment by a medical committee, explained Dércio Fernandes, HCM's clinical director, according to AIM.
The 12 patients were identified through a screening and mobilisation system involving several health facilities and came from Maputo, Sofala and Nampula. The use of this technique in Maputo should enable eligible patients to reduce their hospital stay, the risks associated with more invasive procedures and recovery time, according to Dércio Fernandes.
