Good results for groin hernia operations not performed by doctors in Sierra Leone

(Karolinska Institutet) In countries with a severe shortage of surgeons it is common for some operations to be done by medical staff with lower formal qualifications. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, have led a study on the safety and efficacy of a common surgical procedure. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, shows that inguinal hernia operations performed by associate clinicians at a Sierra Leone hospital were just as safe and effective as those performed by doctors.