Nuts and Bolts of Establishing a Contemporary Global Cardiac Surgery Program

Abstract

The unmet burden of cardiac surgical disease worldwide is disproportionately shouldered by low & middle income countries. Strategies to address this disparity have relied predominantly on short term medical service trips from those in higher resource regions, but variability surrounding singular missions has historically jeopardized long-term effectiveness. We propose a framework for development of global cardiac surgical programs that endorses a methodical & structured approach in low resource countries, positioning programs and struggling centers to advance systematically toward sustainability and success through collaboration.