Rosemary Njoku - Cardiothoracic Surgery

Cardiothoracic Surgery

Rosemary Njoku

Humans aren't indestructible. Illnesses come and go, one of them being heart disease. Want to know what the leading cause of death is? Heart disease. Not only is it the leading cause of death in the United States, but it’s also the leading cause of death globally. Millions of people around the world die, but it's not because of the condition. Millions of people die because not all countries have easy access for treatment, which is cardiothoracic surgery.


Cardiothoracic surgery is surgery that involves the thorax (chest), heart, lungs, and oesophagus. Its procedures are often lengthy and complex, requiring advanced technology. Doing a procedure like cardiothoracic surgery in America would be very simple for the most part. The United States has easy access to specialized doctors and technology that is up to date. In contrast, low income countries would struggle due to financial barriers, geographical location, and most importantly, lack of adequate surgeons that are able to perform the procedure. 


Regions like Sub-Saharan Africa struggle the most due to the lack of surgeons. Sub-Saharan Africa has an extremely low workforce density with 0.12 cardiac surgeons per million people. Adding on to this, few local training sites exist within this region. With obstacles this huge, people will not be getting the necessary treatment needed for their disease, leaving them untreated. This adds on to how over 1 million people per year die from heart disease in Sub-Saharan Africa. 


It’s crucial to have training programs and surgical infrastructure in every country. All countries around the world should be able to say they have the simple necessity of life-saving surgery. At the end of the day, it’s the bare minimum. 


Meet the Author

Hi! I’m Rosemary Njoku, a high school student and writer with a passion for everything medicine related. Fun fact: When I grow up, I actually want to be a cardiothoracic surgeon! I love learning about how medicine impacts people’s lives everyday. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me playing my instrument, researching colleges, listening to music, and watching Tiktok. I hope this blog gives you a new perspective on cardiothoracic surgery around the world. Feel free to reach me on Instagram! @rosemary.zaraa


Sources

Royal College of Surgeons. "Cardiothoracic Surgery." Royal College of Surgeons, https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/news-and-events/media-centre/media-background-briefings-and-statistics/cardiothoracic-surgery/.

Pillai, Ramesh, et al. "Cardiothoracic Surgery in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Call for Investment." Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery, vol. 19, no. 1, 2024, p. 1. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11198308/.

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