Key result
Thoracic conditions account for ~59% of presentations at a Ghanaian cardiothoracic surgical clinic.
Why the study?
Cardiovascular and thoracic diseases are emerging contributors to morbidity and mortality in Ghana and sub-Saharan Africa, yet data on the clinical and demographic profiles of patients managed in CVTS units in Ghana remain limited.
Observational (n=1,953)
No
This 10-year retrospective study characterizes the demographic and clinical profile of 1,953 patients presenting to a tertiary cardiovascular and thoracic surgery clinic in Ghana, demonstrating a predominance of adult male patients and thoracic conditions.
May guide thoracic-focused resource allocation in similar Ghanaian settings; leaves open generalizability beyond this single-center cohort.
Background: Cardiovascular and thoracic (CVTS) diseases are emerging as significant contributors to morbidity and mortality in Ghana and the whole of sub-Saharan Africa. Yet, data on the clinical and demographic profiles of patients managed in CVTS units in Ghana remain limited. Objective: To describe the clinico-epidemiodemographic characteristics of patients presenting to the Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Clinic of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, Ghana. Methods: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted using clinical records of all patients who attended the CVTS clinic between January 2015 and January 2025. Data were extracted on sociodemographic variables, presenting complaints, diagnoses, interventions, and outcomes. Descriptive statistics using STATA 16 were used to summarize the data, and trends were analysed over the study period. Results: A total of 1,953 patients were managed at the Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery (CVTS) Clinic during the study period. The median age of the patients was 44 years with an interquartile range (IQR) of 34 years, and an age range of 1 month to 98 years. Overall, adult patients (20–60 years) formed the majority (57.5%) of the study population, followed by the elderly (22.7%) and paediatric/adolescent groups (19.7%). Out of the total 1,953 patients, 1,116 (57.1%) were males and 837 (42.9%) were females, giving a male-to-female ratio of 1.3:1. Thoracic cases were the most common, comprising 1,143 patients (58.5%). Cardiac cases accounted for 480 (24.6%), while vascular cases represented 330 (16.9%).
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Okyere et al. (2026) conducted an observational in Cardiovascular and thoracic diseases (n=1,953). Cardiovascular and thoracic surgery clinic management was evaluated on Distribution of cardiovascular and thoracic surgical conditions. Patients managed at a Ghanaian CVTS clinic over 10 years (n=1,953) presented predominantly with thoracic (58.5%), cardiac (24.6%), and vascular (16.9%) conditions.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: