This is a long standing annual volunteer trip to Mwandi, Zambia. I am a gynecologist who will be performing gyn surgeries for patients who otherwise would not have access to these life changing procedures. I will be accompanied by my chief resident who will be performing these surgeries with me. I am also so excited to have the opportunity to include a local OB/GYN Zambian resident to teach gyn surgical skills to.
The underserved females of this community will have access to surgery that will radically change their lives and those of their families. Many women have large fibroid uteruses that cause heavy vaginal bleeding leading to pain, anemia and social embarrassment. This also impacts their ability to work and raise their families. With surgery this can be cured. Women with cervical dysplasia are also at risk for cervical cancer and a hysterectomy can treat this.
The impact is life changing improvements in health allowing the women to be able to return to work and return to caring for their families. These surgeries can also stop the possible development of cervical cancer. Another great impact is teaching a local OB/GYN resident, skills that he/she can develop and perfect and then be able to treat their own people.
As a gynecologist I work with and operate on women. Many of the women we met on this mission trip came from far distances seeking surgical care for pelvic pain and heavy vaginal bleeding. This abnormal bleeding was often due to uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts and cervical cancer. Many of these women were young and unable to conceive due to the large numerous fibroids. My chief resident and I performed myomectomies, removing the fibroids and keeping the uterus to allow them the chance of conceiving. The importance of having a family in this culture cannot be underestimated. The custom here is to show the family the specimens that were removed and discuss the outcomes of the surgery. Often the first question asked was “when can she conceive?” Older womem who had completed child bearing with symptomatic uterine fibroids underwent hysterectomies. The surgical procedures we performed had a large impact on the women but also indirectly on their husbands, families and communities. Helping the women with their pain and bleeding and stopping the continued growth of these tumors allowed them to go back to the full function their daily activities of living and manage their families.
Another common issue we encountered was cervical cancer. We worked together with the local nurses, who were very skilled at diagnosing cervical changes consistent with precancerous or cancerous changes and then were able to refer them on to the local physicians for treatment. Unfortuanately most women with cervical cancer can not afford the surgical or chemotherapy or radiation treatment. This emphasizes the importance of VIA (cervical cancer screening) in all woemn.
