Economic Benefit of Hand Surgical Efforts in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Cost-Benefit Analysis

BACKGROUND:Hand surgeons can alleviate the burden associated with various congenital anomalies, burn sequela, and trauma that debilitate individuals in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Because few surgeons in these areas have the necessary resources to perform complex hand surgery, surgical trips provide essential surgical care. We aimed to determine the economic benefit of hand surgical trips to LMICs to comprehensively determine the economic implications of hand surgery trips in low-resource settings. METHODS:We collected data from two major global hand surgery organizations to analyze the economic benefit of hand surgery trips in LMICs. We used both the human capital and value of a statistical life year approach to conduct this cost-benefit analysis. To demonstrate the economic gain, we subtracted the budgeted cost of each trip from the economic benefit. RESULTS:We analyzed a total of 15 trips to LMICs. The costs of the trips ranged from $3,453 to $87,434 (average = $24,869). The total cost for all the surgical trips was $373,040. We calculated a net economic benefit of $3,576,845 using the human capital and $8,650,745 using the value of a statistical life year approach. CONCLUSION:We found a substantial return on investment using both the human capital and value of a statistical life year approach. Additionally, we found that trips emphasizing education had a net economic benefit. Cost-benefit analyses have substantial financial implications and will aid policy makers in developing cost-reduction strategies to promote surgery in LMICs.