As part of Surgical Volunteers International (SVI), I will participate in a multidisciplinary surgical mission to El Salvador focused on helping establish a breast reconstruction program for women who have undergone mastectomy and currently lack access to reconstructive care.
My role will involve supporting perioperative patient care throughout the mission, including preoperative evaluation, patient education, postoperative monitoring, recovery care, and coordination between the surgical and nursing teams. In addition to direct patient care, this mission will provide opportunities to collaborate with local nursing staff and healthcare providers to share best practices related to perioperative recovery, wound care, patient communication, and postoperative support.
This project will serve women in El Salvador recovering from breast cancer treatment who currently have limited access to reconstructive surgery and specialized perioperative care. Many of these patients face both physical and emotional challenges following mastectomy, including changes in body image, confidence, and overall quality of life.
Comprehensive nursing and perioperative support are essential components of successful reconstructive surgery, particularly in settings where access to multidisciplinary care may be limited. This mission aims to provide compassionate, patient-centered care while helping support the long-term development of reconstructive services.
The immediate impact of this mission will include perioperative and postoperative support for patients undergoing autologous breast reconstruction procedures, helping optimize patient safety, recovery, and overall surgical experience.
This mission is also intended to help establish long-term collaboration between visiting and local healthcare teams. Through shared clinical experiences and education, we hope to support ongoing improvements in perioperative care, patient monitoring, and postoperative recovery practices.
By participating in a grassroots volunteer organization with minimal overhead, our team is able to maximize direct patient impact while contributing to sustainable healthcare development in underserved communities.
We performed surgeries on 4 women who were breast cancer survivors. These women had undergone unilateral mastectomy and been left disfigured, with very uneven weight distribution, and with a constant physical reminder of their disease. The surgeries done were part of a multistep plan to improve the mental and physical health of these women through breast reconstruction. In the end, the goal is to help these women feel physically whole again while helping them to avoid the back and shoulder pain resulting from a unilateral large breast. 2 of the women recieved unilateral DIEP flap reconstruction, This is the first time this surgery was performed in El Salvador and our organization was bale to donate a microscope for this and future microvascular surgeries. 2 women received unilateral breast reduction in anticipation of DIEP flap. All 4 women were excited for this opportunity. They were kind and appreciative and excited to put their cancer experience behind them. At the end of our trip, they were up and out of bed and doing well post op.
