Hernia International
Mongolia June 2019
USA/UK/MGL team
Ulannbattar/ moron
Mary Jane Reed, MD, FACS, FCCM Team Leader June 24-July 5, 2019
Summary: Mongolia and Hernia International have had a long standing relationship and this was the 10th year working in collaboration with the excellent surgeons in both Ulaanbaatar and Moron.
Dr Naraa was our Mongolian host and was instrumental in making our HI mission successful.
Enkee was our in country coordinator who was a wonder in organization and relations. Our teams worked in Hospital 2 in the capital of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar and in Moron Hospital in Moron, Khovsgol providence. The teams evaluated and operated on 45 adult patients with inguinal, umbilical, post-operative ventral hernias, phimosis and cryptoorchism in Ulaanbaatar over 4 days. In Moron, the team did half pediatric hernias. Including adult inguinal and ventral hernias total of 24 cases were done in four days. The HI hernia team were co surgeons on all of the cases with young attendings or senior residents at Hospital 2 in Ulaanbaatar and regional surgeons in Moron. The Hernia International team consisted of three surgeons all experienced in global surgery.
Biku Ghosh, a senior British surgeon with extensive experience in all aspects of general surgery including pediatrics and breast cancer. Dr Ghosh donates his time extensively to global surgery projects including HI. Dr Mary Ann Hopkins is new to HI but not to global health. She is a fellowship trained laparoscopist and advanced hernia expert who also is the Director of Global Initiatives of New York University Medical Center. She brought her expertise to teach repair of large complex ventral hernias. I rounded the team out as the second US surgeon. Although not my first global surgical mission leadership, it was my first time with HI. I am a acute care surgeon and critical care surgeon with advanced laparoscopy and bariatric surgery background.
June 24-28, 2019-Hospital #2 Ulaanbaatar. The team brought 100 pieces of mesh in various sizes, suture and dressings. No mosquito netting was used in this mission. Although the majority of operations were inguinal hernias, a third of the cases included large post-operative ventral hernias.
A few bilateral hernias were performed laparoscopically.
Lectures on hernias and other general surgery topics were delivered by the HI volunteers.Ulaanbaatar is a busy and vibrant city.
Our hosts assured that we experienced some of the sites.
June 28, 2019-Dr Naraa and a Hospital #2 team of residents escorted the HI team to Moron by ground. This is a long trip via road but full of incredible sites.
July 1-July 5, 2019– HI-Mongolian team operated at the Moron hospital. Here, the HI team operated with regional surgeons. Half of the patients were pediatric hernias with the adult cases equally divided with inguinal and post-operative ventral hernias.
And we very much enjoyed getting to know our hosts.
