Our group plan to 1) perform complex microsurgical reconstruction on select patients in conjunction with local surgeons 2) provide microsurgical education to local surgeons and trainees and 3) promote research to evaluate current pathways and outcomes
I personally will be partaking the in the microsurgery education pathway, taking part in two 3-day intensive courses. The course is designed for beginning microsurgeons (at whatever level of training). Each day will consist of a series of lectures in the morning, followed by a practical hands-on session in the afternoon. Each day will include 4 hours of active microscope work under the instruction of multiple fellowship-trained microsurgery faculty and other qualified instructors, including myself. Formal learning objectives were established. Over the course of each 3-day course, we will complete 17.5 hours of hands-on microsurgery skills practice and 9 hours of classroom-based didactics.
The goal is to expand access to microsurgical care, which uniquely benefits patients whose pathologies may have otherwise been deemed unsalvageable. We know the answer is education to foster sustainability. In particular, members of this group have designed a cheap and easy to construct 3D microscope that we will be bringing for training that allows for easy practice and teaching.
We will be in Vietnam, spending half our time in Hanoi and half our time in Ho Chi Minh City (~3 days in each location). Vietnam was selected due to an interest in promoting microsurgery in Southeast Asia. These two cities serve as the major population hubs in the North and South of the country. There are established academic institutions that benefit most from this intensive training, and they will be able to sustainably expand access to this type of complex reconstructive care.
The expected impact is threefold:
First, the team I am going with will be performing complex reconstructions in conjunction with local surgeons. They will personally benefit each patient/family.
Second, and primarily, we hope to empower local surgeons and trainees to continue to perform these procedures beyond the scope of this mission trip. This is why our trip is primarily education and training oriented. It creates a sustainable infrastructure for complex microsurgery to continue.
Third, we are fostering a spirit of research with the goal of promoting innovation and evidence-based practice locally.
To Doximity,
I am deeply grateful for the financial support from Doximity that made my recent global health experience in Vietnam possible. Over the course of nine days, I traveled with Nuoy International to participate in a microsurgery training initiative focused on sustainable education and training.
In many countries, the need for reconstructive microsurgery is significant, yet access remains limited due to gaps in equipment, infrastructure, and formal training. Our team aimed to address this barrier through education. We introduced a low-cost, portable practice microscope designed to make microsurgical training more accessible and scalable in resource-limited settings.
The course combined didactic lectures with hands-on practice, using chicken thigh models for vessel dissection and anastomosis. I worked closely with participants to both teach and learn. What was particularly inspiring was the diversity of participants, ranging from trainees to attending surgeons in orthopedics, neurosurgery, and plastic surgery, all eager to incorporate microsurgical techniques into their practice.
This experience reinforced the power of education as a tool for sustainable global health impact. Rather than providing short-term clinical care, we contributed to building long-term capacity by empowering local surgeons with the skills and resources to expand reconstructive care within their own communities.
Beyond the educational impact, the experience was personally meaningful. Splitting our time between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, I was struck by a culture that is deeply rooted in respect, education, and humility. I left not only feeling personally rejuvenated, but also with lasting professional relationships that I hope will lead to future collaboration.
I am sincerely thankful for Doximity’s support in making this experience possible.
Sincerely,
Aishu Ramamurthi, MD
