Awareness and attitudes towards face and organ transplant in Kumasi, Ghana

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the level of awareness and attitudes towards face and organ transplant among the people of Kumasi, Ghana.Design: An observational study was employed, where participants were randomly selected for the study.Participants: The respondents were commuters waiting to board public vehicles at the Kejetia lorry station, Bantama/Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital taxi station, Buokrom Estate F-line lorry station, traders, and residents of Adum and Bantama, all in Kumasi.Methods: The descriptive study was conducted from 1st February to 30th April 2009. An interview-based questionnaire was used for the convenient sample of respondents. Data obtained included: demographic profile and items covering awareness, attitudes and beliefs towards face and organ transplant.Results: Out of the 1020 respondents, females (53.2%) outnumbered males. The age of respondents ranged from 10 to 89 years; mean was 27.50± 2.98 years; majority (72.3%) was Christians, whilst 61.8% hadgone through tertiary education. Few (33.5%) of the respondents were aware of face transplant; 70.0% and 62.1% were willing to receive a face if their face was disfigured or donate their face when dead respectively. Also, 50.6% were aware of organ transplant, whiles 59.1% would receive/donate an organ when required. Multiple regression analysis shows statisticalsignificant association between attitudes, awareness and demographic variables listed.Conclusion: Face and organ transplant were found to have a relatively low and high awareness level respectively. However, an affirmative attitude wasrecorded for face and organ transplant. More education on face and organ donations is needed.Keywords: Face; Organ; Transplant; Awareness; Attitudes

Nipple-areolar complex (nac) composite grafts in the Management of macromastia: Review of complications

Background:The free graft of the nipple-areolar complex is almost like a “composite” graft. This is because the skin of the areola and especially the nipple are usually thicker than the case is in the usual full-thickness skin grafts (FTSG). In traditional breast reductions, the nipple-areolar complex is located to its new position by means of pedicle flaps. This, of course, enhances the proper healing of the nipple-areolar complex (NAC). However, in the case of gigantic breast hypertrophies, it is often not possible to carry the NAC on the long pedicle flap. The NAC is therefore grafted as a free graft. Very often these grafts get infected or simple become necrotic and part or whole of them may be lost.Material and methods :Fifteen Free Graft NAC were done for 8 patients in 5 years 1997-2001 .. The results are analysed.Results Out of fifteen (15) free grafted NAC for eight (8) patients the following results were achieved: The factors underlying the total or partial loss of this composite graft may be numerous and are critically analyzed in this paper

Assessment of mortality prediction models in a Ghanaian burn population

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A study of cleft lip/palate in a community in the South East of Ghana

The previous study in Wudoaba villages suggested that cleft lip and cleft palate (CL/CP) may be endemic in the Wudoaba cluster of villages in the Ketu South District of the Volta Region in South East Ghana. The study was to detect the prevalence of CL/CP in the Wudoaba communities and to investigate the factors associated with the causes of this malformation in the area. Two different interview-based questionnaires were designed to collect data over a period of 3 days from March 27 to 29, 2006. A purposive and accidental random sampling technique was used in the administering of the various questionnaires to the respondents. Data collected were recorded and analyzed with SPSS version 17.0. A total 99 respondents, with a mean age of 55.0 years, were interviewed. Out of it, 57.6% (n = 57) were related to their spouses: 54 first cousins and three other family relations. The prevalence of CL/CP is at least 6.3 per 1,000 people (i.e., 25/4,000). Majority (56.0%, n = 14) of the cleft cases were unilateral. Interviews revealed that genetic homogeneity and vitamin deficiencies in this community may be a causal factor for the high prevalence of CL/CP. This community provides clues suggesting that the magnitude of CL/CP may be larger than other studies and identifies the Wudoaba population as one that could be further studied to explore the underlying factors causing this congenital malformation

Multidisciplinary approach to genomics research in Africa: the AfriCRAN model

This article is an outcome of the African Craniofacial Anomalies Research Network (AfriCRAN) Human Hereditary and Health (H3A) grant planning meeting in 2012 in Lagos, Nigeria. It describes the strengths of a multidisciplinary team approach to solving complex genetic traits in the craniofacial region. It also highlights the different components and argues for the composition of similar teams to fast track the discovery of disease genes, diagnostic tools, improved clinical treatment and ultimately prevention of diseases