My husband and I, both plastic surgeons, will triage and operate on patients at the Obras in Antigua Guatemala. Our typical cases consist of keloid scar reconstruction, burn scar contracture releases/grafting, vascular malformations, secondary cleft rhinoplasty, hand surgery, and lower extremity coverage after traumas. There is a very high orthopedic trauma rate secondary to moped use in the region and without specialty flap options for lower extremity trauma coverage the patients would otherwise be undergoing amputations limiting their ability to work and provide for their families.
The Guatemalan population will benefit from this project. Half of the population falls under the poverty line and 85% of the population is poor or vulnerable to fall into poverty. The Healthcare system in Guatemala is broken. The few national hospitals that do exist are open 4 hours a day and closed for weeks at a time when not enough supplies. Patients have to pay for everything other than a physician consult and so even the middle class cannot afford imaging, diagnostic tests, or surgerical treatments prescribed.
We operate on all age ranges, from infants to elderly, with a focus on restoring form and function. The group we volunteer with has a year round presence that is long established and respected in the region which allows for continuity of care and patient follow up
Our typical mission week includes a full triage day followed by 4 operative days. This typically allows for approximately 25 operative cases during the week. We work closely with the Obras nursing staff and in house facility hospitalist to educate on general postoperative wound management and care that can be translated to any surgical service that rotates through their facility with the FIP teams. Often when we arrive the hospital beds are filled with orthopedic trauma patients they cannot discharge secondary to infection or wound coverage issues. We assist with giving these often young previously mobile patients a chance at limb salvage so they can be discharged home and get back to their families sooner to help support their families.
Our mission team in Antigua, Guatemala provided life changing care through
37 urogyn surgeries
35 general surgeries
29 gyn surgeries
26 plastic and reconstructive surgeries
Each is more than a number. It is a chance for renewed strength, confidence, health, and brighter future for the amazing patients and their families across Guatemala. Some of our patients traveled 11-12 hours to receive care with our team. Their stories of resilience and perseverance impacted us as much as we did for them.
The Doximity Foundation's support allowed us to pass it forward and financially support the cost of our plastic surgery OR teams expenses so we could bring a plastic surgery trained OR tech, circulator, and PACU nurses comfortable with caring for children. In doing so we were able to provide severe burn contracture releases and skin grafting for children who had been in auto accidents or suffered extensive burns in their kitchen or home wood stoves as toddlers, syndactyly releases, PIP contracture releases secondary to severe mosquito-born viral illness to return hand function, tongue tie releases for proper feeding and nutrition, keloid excision and reconstructions of disfiguring scars after traumatic injuries, skin cancer excisions w facial reconstruction, etc.
Thank you for helping us care for those in most need.
