We are starting a pediatric heart surgery medical mission to The National Children’s Hospital in Phnom Penh. We have partnered with the Cambodian Health Professionals Association of America to develop a sustainable pediatric heart program over the next 10 years.
We believe by focusing on congenital heart disease we will help elevated the healthcare for all children in Cambodia by improving critical skills in ICU care, anesthesia care, surgical care and teamwork. Our immediate focus will be pediatric heart patients and for our first trip we will start screen patients virtually in early December. During the first trip, we will focus on straightforward surgeries, with goal of completing 10 surgeries. We have acquired the necessary equipment with most of it already in country.
Our overall goal is to build a sustainable program over the next 10 years. The initial mission will be to do a needs assessment, evaluating capabilities, barriers to success and develop an action plan with the local teams. We have already initiated a virtual teaching series which we will continue. We will also be looking to return on a regular basis.
We had an amazing trip. 24 volunteers from the US joined the trip. They included a pediatric heart surgeon, 2 anesthesiologist, 2 pediatric cardiac intensivists, 6 ICU nurses, 3 respiratory therapists, 2 perfusionists, 1 PA, 1 pediatric cardiologist, 1 nursing student/translator, 2 pediatricians, 1 biomedical engineer, 2 administrators.
We created a pediatric ICU and cardiac operating room. We had two bypass pumps sent, 9 ICU monitors, disposable equipment and medications.
We worked with 45 physicians, nurses, and allied health providers. We screened 14 patients. 10 were found to need surgery. We operated successfully on 7 patients with all being discharged within 6 days, median length of stay was 4 days. All patients were extubated in the operating room, no patient was reintubated. The only complication was a superficial would dehiscence, which was treated conservatively and patient did well.
We had multiple teaching lectures. We have worked with administrators for a long term plan to develop a sustainable program. Currently there is one other program in Cambodia.
We had great involvement from the government with meeting with the First Lady and Minister of Health.
Prior to our trip we had monthly didactic lectures and patient conferences. We have continued these and have plans to go back in Fall and January/February 2027. Ultimately we plan to travel 3 to 4 time per year.
The medical mission trip to Cambodia performed the first open heart surgeries at National Pediatric Hospital. He have set the foundation to develop a very successful program at the National Pediatric Hospital.
