Cao Lanh, Vietnam 2006 Surgical Trip

U.S. Volunteers Help by Making NoNos

U.S. Volunteers Help by Making NoNos
Originally uploaded by interplast.

No-nos are splint-type devices used to prevent young children from bending their arms, touching their faces and harming their stiches. In January, the San Jose Mercury News published an article on a local high school sewing class making no-nos for Interplast. Since that time, volunteers around the Bay Area and beyond have offered to help too and have made more than 2,500 no-nos. The no-nos on this young palate patient were made students at the Horizon Program at Cupertino High School in Cupertino, CA.

Acid Burn Victim Gives Back

Acid Burn Victim Gives Back
Originally uploaded by interplast.

In 1989 in Ho Chi Minh City, Anne Phong Nguyen’s boyfriend, jealous and possessive, threw sulfuric acid on her face and body, leaving her severely disfigured and limited in movement. After five months in the hospital and more than 50 surgeries in the next decade, Anne is devoted to helping other acid burn victims and those in need of reconstructive surgery in developing countries.

Using her two weeks of vacation from her job in Lansing, Michigan, Anne regularly volunteers as a translator and surgical trip coordinator for Interplast. Anne believes the tragic event she suffered gives her extra strength and self-confidence. As she compassionately works with the patients, it is clear that Anne has a special connection and empathy with others. Interplast is grateful for her service. In Can Lanh, Anne holds and comforts Phat Tan before his surgery for ptosis, a condition which effects the eyelid and ones ability to see.

Teaching in the Recovery Room

Teaching in the Recovery Room
Originally uploaded by interplast.

Teaching continued in the PACU, the recovery room. Elise Getting, PACU nurse from Boston, explains to local recovery nurse Linh how to treat burn wounds, while Tu Van’s mother listens.

Teaching in the OR

I06 VCL teaching Rodriguez, Hoa2
Originally uploaded by interplast.

Dong Thap General Hospital’s medical staff is wonderful and very eager to learn and practice their craft. Local surgeons and nurses are always in the operating room. Here is Ben explaining the procedure to Dr. Hoa and scrub nurses Trung and Van.

Many Ptosis Cases in Vietnam

Many Ptosis Cases in Vietnam
Originally uploaded by interplast.

The Interplast team repaired the eyelids of many children with ptosis in Cao Lanh.

Host Nurses

Host Nurses
Originally uploaded by interplast.

Cao Lanh, Vietnam - These nurses were always so helpful and assisted in the recovery room.

Team Leader Carter Dodge

Team Leader Carter Dodge
Originally uploaded by interplast.

Cao Lanh, Vietnam - Dr. Carter Dodge, anesthesiologist from Dartmouth, served as team leader.

Dong Thap Hospital's Dr. Hien

Dong Thap Hospital's Dr. Hien
Originally uploaded by interplast.

Surgeon Dong Thap’s Dr. Hien was the first assist or the primary surgeon; an Interplast plastic surgeon at the table in case he was needed, but she did several cleft lips and palates; it was a great opportunity to see Interplast education and empowerment mission in action.

Working Together in the OR

Working Together in the OR
Originally uploaded by interplast.

Dr. Paul Edwards, volunteer plastic surgeon from West Virginia, works with local surgeons on a cleft palate case.

Making it Easier to Write

Making it Easier to Write
Originally uploaded by interplast.

This beautiful 9-year-old was born with an extra thumb, which makes it difficult for her to write. She also always hides her hand, as children in school tease her. The surgeons will operate to remove the extra digit.

Anesthesiologists Teaming in OR

Anesthesiologists Teaming in OR
Originally uploaded by interplast.

Nurse anesthetist Phi teamed up with Interplast anesthesiologists for almost every case. Here she works with Dr. Will Stubber of Dartmouth.

Sleeping with Geckos

Sleeping with Geckos
Originally uploaded by interplast.

Sleeping with geckos. Geckos are in abundance at the Hoa Binh Hotel. In the lobby and in our rooms. I never thought I would be okay with sleeping with lizards, but I guess they beat the mosquitos they eat.

Bill Nolan Examining Unhappy Little Tu Van

  Bill Nolan Examining Tu Van 
  Originally uploaded by interplast.

Two-year old Tu Van was not pleased to see us and was always screaming. Interplast volunteer Dr. Bill Nolan, plastic surgeon from Bedford, New York, examines his burn contractures. The poor guy has been severely burned for most of his life. Under the care of a 9-year sibling while his parents worked in the fields, Tu Van, at four months of age, grabbed an oil lamp, spilling kerosene on himself and starting a fire, which caused severe burns on his face arm and torso.

A Good Guy And A Great Love Story

  Nhan Thi Caring For His Wife 
  Originally uploaded by interplast.

Nhan Thi’s husband devotedly cared for her before and after her operation. He told us that 30 years ago his mother had asked him not to marry her because of her cleft. However, he did not care and loved her anyway. He continued telling us that they are very happy together and have three beautiful daughters. Everyone in the ward noticed and admired his love and devotion. What a good guy and a great love story.

Stonecutter Cleft Patient Nhan Thi

  Stonecutter Cleft Patient Nhan Thi 
  Originally uploaded by interplast.

Nhan Thi has lived with her cleft lip for 45 years. Unlike many with clefts, Nhan Thi has not been stigmatized by her villagers; but when she heard that Interplast would be in Cao Lanh, she decided she wanted her cleft repaired. Nhan Thi and her husband of nearly 30 years travelled for a full day by bus. In previous years, Nhan Thi had been too poor to even consider the travel, even though the surgery would be free of charge. They both are stonecutters, very difficult manual labor with very little pay, in An Giang province.

Tu Van Will Have The Ability To Close His Mouth

  Tu Van After Surgery 
  Originally uploaded by interplast.

While still heavily bandaged, it is hard to imagine—but within a couple of weeks, Tu Van will have the ability to close his mouth and move freely---really for the first time in his life.

Tu Van

  Tu Van 
  Originally uploaded by interplast.

When burns are not treated properly at the time of injury, they cause burn contractures, which can make a child disabled and limited in movement. Tu Van cannot use one of his hands, cannot raise his arm and is not able to close his mouth. Interplast surgeons will release his scars tomorrow.

Education and Empowerment

  Primary Surgeon Dr. Hien 
  Originally uploaded by interplast.

Surgeon Dong Thap’s Dr. Hien was the first assist or the primary surgeon; an Interplast plastic surgeon was at the table in case he was needed, but she did several cleft lips and palates. It was a great opportunity to see Interplast education and empowerment mission in action.

Waterboy Leaves the Hospital

Waterboy
Originally uploaded by interplast.

Waterboy, as we affectionately called the toddler who kept PACU busy filling his cup, left this morning with his lip repair. With his cleft lip repaired this early in life, we certainly hope he will live a normal, happy life---and continue to keep others laughing.

Sweet Smile, Kind Nature

Duc After Surgery
Originally uploaded by interplast.

Duc Hung sweet smile is matched by his kind nature. This morning in the recovery ward, I found him talking and playing with one of the toddler patients, trying to make the little one happy. Here is Duc Hung the morning after his surgery.

Ptosis Patient Duc

  Ptosis Patient Duc 
  Originally uploaded by interplast.

Nine-year-old Duc has an adorable smile. He has come to Interplast to have his eyelid repair. Duc suffers from ptosis, a disease which affects the eyelid and can lead to loss of sight. He said that it was already getting difficult to see with that eye. When asked what he liked to do, he at first said only schoolwork, only studying. But when pressed, we learned that he loves math and soccer and hopes to be a professional goalie someday.

He Was Very Thirsty, Or Just Working Us

Carla Epps and His Thirstiness
Originally uploaded by interplast.

Sitting in his mother’s lap after his surgery, he reached for a cup and then motioned to Carla, the pediatrician, to fill it. He was very thirsty---or just working us---because for the next 15-20 minutes he would drink, turn to one of us in the PACU with his cup and want it filled. It really made us laugh.

This humorous boy give us a needed tension release after a slight scare in the morning. Earlier, a team member was pricked by a needle used on a young child. We pack HIV testing kits on every trip, just for such accidents. Following our HIV protocol, the pediatrician immediately tested the team member and patient; the results were negative. What could have been a very serious situation thankfully turned out to be benign.

Happy and Precocious One

Thuan Trung
Originally uploaded by interplast.

Thuan Trung, 18 months old, came with his mother to have his cleft lip repaired. He is a very happy and precocious little one.

One Of The "Boat People" Returning To Vietnam To Help

Thuyle and Bao-Ngoc’s mother
Originally uploaded by interplast.

For the last seven years, Thuyle Hope Dinh has spent her vacations volunteering as a translator for Interplast.

Originally from Vietnam, Thuyle and her siblings were as she calls it, “boat people.” Her father was imprisoned in a concentration camp and her mother needed to stay behind; therefore, like thousands of other children in the late 1970s, Thuyle, at age 13, fled by boat with some of her siblings but with no adults to help them. For days, the unaccompanied children drifted lost at sea and did not have any food or water, but fortunately another boat came along, saved them and helped them to Malaysia where she and her siblings lived for six months until coming to the United States, joining an older brother.

Today, Thuyle is a nurse with Valley Medical Center in San Jose and has two children of her own. After eight years in the concentration camp, her father was released and her parents now live in Sacramento. It is amazing the hardships this beautiful woman has overcome and how she continues to give.

Here Thuyle explains to Bao-Ngoc’s mother how to give her child iron supplements so that she may be healthier next year.

Iron Supplements For Next Year

Bao-Ngoc
Originally uploaded by interplast.

Unfortunately, not all of the children Interplast’s sees in clinic are health enough for surgery. Two-year old Bao-Tgoc has a cleft palate, but she also is anemic and cannot undergo surgery this year. As Interplast has found that anemia is a barrier to surgery for many children, it now supplies families with iron supplements, with the hope that their children will be healthier for surgery another year.

Victory Is Mine!

Victory Is Mine!
Originally uploaded by interplast.

Victory! Efforts at grabbing Dr. Kreutz's stethescope have proven successful!

Interplast Anesthesiologists

I Believe Those Glasses Belong To Me
Originally uploaded by interplast.

All of the Interplast anesthesiologists hail from New England. Two are from Dartmouth, New Hampshire and one is from South Hero, Vermont. Dr. Joe Kreutz, from Vermont, is an Interplast veteran and has been on seven trips thus far. It is amazing how Interplast volunteers devote their vacation time to Interplast year after year. Joe helped out with clinic, examining patients making sure they were healthy enough to undergo anesthesia and surgery. This little one was very curious, reaching for Joe’s stethescope and glasses.

Hien Runs A Mean Clinic

Best Clinic Day Ever, Thanks To Hien
Originally uploaded by interplast.

Many of the Interplast volunteers said that this was the best clinic they had ever experienced. Much credit needs to be given to Dr. Hien Thi Nguyen, Interplast’s key partner in Vietnam. An anesthesiologist in Ho Chi Minh City, Hien is critical to the work Interplast does in all of Vietnam. At more than six sites in Vietnam, she nurtures and builds relationships for Interplast to provide surgical team trips and visiting educator workshops. Not only that, she runs a mean clinic, keeping what could be a chaotic situation completely under control.

Local Hosts and Interplast

Drs. Dodge and Diep
Originally uploaded by interplast.

Interplast could not do the work it does without its local hosts. They open the doors to their hospitals and send word village by village, neighborhood by neighborhood, so that children who suffer from a congenital deformity or disabling injury can have a second chance at life. Dr. Diep, the director of the Dong Thap General Hospital, welcomed Dr. Carter Dodge, team leader and volunteer anesthesiologist, and other members of the teams. He noted that he wanted Interplast to do more than just help the children. He wanted his surgeons and nurses to learn from the Interplast team. It is Interplast’s mission to not only provide life-changing surgeries but to partner with local doctors like Dr. Diep so that the surgeries can happen year-round and for generations to come.

Providing Equal Access To Health Care In Vietnam

Dr. Carla Epps Examining Van Hieu
Originally uploaded by interplast.

One such devoted volunteer is Dr. Carla Epps, from the Washington, DC area. Early on clinic day, she examined our tiniest patient, Van Hieu. He is 2 months old from Phong My. Because of the timing of this Interplast trip, Van Hieu will have his cleft lip fixed at about the same age as most children born in countries with more access to reconstructive surgery and/or with more economic means.

A Gift From Interplast

A Gift From Interplast
Originally uploaded by interplast.

Amongst the sleeplessness and long cramped flights, it is easy to question why one would come some 6,000+ miles to travel another four hours on dusty, bumpy roads to then sleep with geckos at a foreign hotel. Tired, jet-lagged, surrounded by 80 percent humidity with the only relief being lukewarm showers coming out of a small spout in the wall, even I found myself wondering why am I doing this underneath my professional smile.

But then you wake up the next day slightly refreshed and head to the hospital. Seeing thatch dwellings with tarps for roofs and child street vendors nestled among the modern buildings on an “adventuresome” van ride in a sea of motor bikes, the mission starts to come back to you in eureka fashion.

By the time we reach the Dong Thap General Hospital in Cao Lanh, the 13 members and I are completely clear and excited about the work we have been given to do. And it is a gift. More than 150 families have come to give Interplast medical professionals their most beloved treasures, their children, for a couple of days. So desperate is their need for help that they are willing to completely trust these medical strangers in a hospital that is even foreign to the locals. And it is with humbling knowledge, this gift, that these volunteer doctors and nurses work tirelessly examining small patients.

Interplast in Cao Lanh, Vietnam

Hello! My name is Sara Anderson-Hsiao, communications and public education director at Interplast. I will be accompanying the surgical team in Cao Lanh, Vietnam for the first week that they are here, so stay tuned for (hopefully) daily updates.