So No Child Must Wait

Tumor Patient Phuong

  Tumor Patient Phuong 
  Originally uploaded by interplast.

My Tho, Vietnam - Phuong is a 27-year old with the largest facial tumor I have seen. In this podcast I talk about Phuong's case and how Interplast has changed his life. The tumor began to grow at age 7, and quickly took over his entire left face, enveloping his eye and ear, and clearly keeping him from living a normal life. He has had three surgeries before, but the tumor has grown back each time. Recently, no local doctors or international team visiting the area has offered to take his case, due to the risk involved with the blood loss and the need for careful post-op care. Even in the US, this case would be considered a difficult case and booked for a full day in the OR.

Podcast From The My Tho, Vietnam Team About My Linh

My Tho, Vietnam - This is another podcast interview between Interplast Tin Ha-Ngoc, coordinator/translator for the Interplast surgical team in My Tho, Vietnam and Interplast communications and technology coordinator Seth Mazow.  Tin is discussing My Linh, one of the patients operated on a couple of days ago (scroll down four and five posts to see or click here and here).

Special thanks to Beth Kanter, Marshall Kirkpatrick and Nick Noakes for helping me work out how to record these interviews on Skype and turn them into podcasts.  --Seth

Minh Man Post-Surgery With New Friends

  Minh Man with his new friends in the ward 
  Originally uploaded by interplast.

My Tho, Vietnam - Here is Minh Man on the left, in the ward the morning after surgery. He is feeling well and and even has some new friends, who also received new hands thanks to Interplast! The patients certainly develop a sense of community while waiting, sometimes days, in the hospital before and after surgery - we are amazed at how friendly everyone is and how well everyone has gotten to know one another while here. The Vietnamese truly keep good spirits though difficult times.

Difficult Burn Victim Case: Minh Man

  Minh Man pre-surgery 
  Originally uploaded by interplast.

My Tho, Vietnam - Minh Man is a friendly 10 year old boy. When he was 4, his clothing caught on fire while playing in his house near a wood stove. Panicked, Minh Man ran out the door and around the block - it was ten minutes before his mother could catch him and douse the flames, by which time he was badly burned. Today, his left wrist is locked in an extremely awkward position due to the shrinking of his skin over the years, making his left hand rather useless. No Vietnamese doctors that he has seen would attempt his case, because of how difficult it would be to release his wrist to allow for full extension. Once in the operating room, Dr. Khundkar and Dr. Nolan released Minh Man's burn contractures on his wrist to give him full extension of his wrist. They will next take a skin graft from Minh Man's abdomen to place on the open wound where his skin had shrunk.

Once in the operating room, Dr. Khundkar and Dr. Nolan released Minh Man's burn contractures on his wrist to give him full extension of his wrist. They will next take a skin graft from Minh Man's abdomen to place on the open wound where his skin had shrunk.

Burns in the Developing World

  Loc in pre-op room 
  Originally uploaded by interplast.

My Tho, Vietnam - We have seen many serious burn victims in the past week, and those team members with experience on other trips have remarked on how common burns are in the developing world, due to cooking methods and unsafe machinery and equipment.

This is Loc, an engineer who fixes cars, motorbikes and other machines. Eight months ago a gasoline explosion gravely burned his face, chest and both his arms. The burns slowly hardened and shrunk his skin, to the point where he could barely use his left hand. The doctors operated on this hand to release the burn contracture and grafted skin from his groin to his hand and wrist. He came out of anesthesia speaking English, which was quite a surprise to the recovery room nurses and translators, saying "I can work again" and "I am happy, I am happy!"

My Tho, Vietnam 2006: My Linh After Interplast

  My Linh After Surgery 
  Originally uploaded by interplast.

This is My Linh immediately after surgery, her cleft lip repaired by Dr. Nolan. She is under general anesthesia, but when she wakes up, she'll have a new life awaiting her.

With a reshaped lip (and hopefully next year, a repaired palate), My Linh will be able to eat and grow better. My Linh’s is a powerful story of two miracles: first, of a generous young woman who made a commitment to nurture a seriously challenged newborn girl, and second, of a foreign team of doctors who happened to come to My Linh’s neighborhood and offer their time and effort to help her live a better life.

My Tho, Vietnam 2006: My Linh Before Interplast

  My Linh 
  Originally uploaded by interplast.

Especially moving is the story of My Linh, a 1 year old with a cleft lip and palate, who was abandoned by her parents. A sad part of this culture is that many people in this culture feel ashamed of having a deformed baby.  Three or four days after My Linh was born, her mother left her at the hospital.  A stranger who was in the hospital visiting a friend saw My Linh's father, who was crying.  He said he couldn't care for the child and didn't know what to do.  The stranger, who was already struggling to provide for 4 children,  decided to adopt her, and when she heard about Interplast, she brought My Linh to Tien Giang hospital in the hopes of giving the child a new life.

The days have been long (breakfast at 6:30 and leave the hospital around 8 or 9 PM), but this kind of story really makes our time here rewarding.  It reminds us why we are here and of our goal of providing hope to people who desperately need it.

My Tho, Vietnam 2006: Van Huy After Interplast

Van Hui after cleft lip surgery
Originally uploaded by interplast.

Here is Van Huy after his surgery. It was very successful, and while he may be a little grumpy when he wakes up, his life will now be completely different

My Tho, Vietnam 2006: Van Huy Before Interplast

  Van Huy before surgery 
  Originally uploaded by interplast.

The first three days of surgery have been quite a success. It has been quite an adventure, first with 2 suitcases MIA until yesterday, then the autoclave machine going down (but now back up and running thanks to the hospital's engineer), the difficulty contacting friends and family in the States, and of course the food: fish and shrimp heads, fish sauce, squid, and all sorts of funky fruits! All of the team members' spirits are high and we have really bonded as a team towards our goal of helping these unfortunate children.

This is Van Huy. As you can tell he has a pretty intense bilateral cleft lip. He is scheduled for surgery later today and I will try to ge a picture of hm after he emerges.

My Tho, Vietnam 2006: A Pleasure To Work With

  Dr. Gallagher examining today's patients 
  Originally uploaded by interplast.

The patients and families have been a pleasure to work with.  At right are the patients in the pre-op room being examined by Dr. Gallagher, the pediatrician.  The day's 10-11 patients plus parents wait up to 12 hours in the pre-op room for their turn for surgery, sitting on the floor or sharing one of the two beds!   Yet rarely have we heard any complaints or crying from the parents or children.  They are all so friendly and gracious to our team members at all times.  Unlike the US where many people take high quality medical care for granted, many of the families are very poor and cannot afford regular medical attention, so they are incredibly grateful that we give them any time and attention at all.  It has really moved us to see the love the parents and family show for their children by traveling long distances and wait for hours, sometimes days, so that their little ones can live better lives.