Surgery in Haiti

At Hôpital Albert Schweitzer in the center of Haiti 2,500 operations are performed each year. The author describes how, in his nine years on the surgical service there, he has developed ways to deal with the fraction of the overwhelming demand that has become the hospital's responsibility. Limitations in laboratory work and antibiotics are not only necessary but, in some cases, wise. Types of cancer and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and vascular systems are different from those of the United States and more like those of West Africa. Compromises in methods of managing urologic conditions and fractures are suited to the socioeconomic setting and are highly successful.