So No Child Must Wait

Post-Operative Ward

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Chau Doc, Vietnam - Tim Sproule, plastic surgeon: The care of our patients has been really good, both by our team and by the local doctors and nurses. The post op ward is air conditioned, which is really important for these little patients. They lie out on beds, cots or even on the floor with their families along one wall. The rest of the room is filled with post op adults and people with a variety of other ailments. There is little monitoring equipment, but sometimes sophisticated treatments. One night we observed a sick man on the other side of the ward having a CVP (central venous pressure) taken by the old open manometer tube method. He had a dopamine drip running! Another time we observed a young man being treated for a GI bleed with gastric lavage. Tragically he ended up dying before the night was out.

tags: interplast vietnam chau doc

Six Year-Old Post-Op

  Six Year-Old Post-Op 
  Originally uploaded by interplast.

Chau Doc, Vietnam - Tim Sproule, plastic surgeon: We have been able to correct her palate. Hopefully she also will have an opportunity to live a more normal life, and have the speech to take better advantage of her intelligence.

Happy Families and Bright Smiles

Ineke at work
Originally uploaded by interplast.

Chau Doc, Vietnam - Ineke van Zundert, anesthesiologist: For me, going on an Interplast trip always starts with dual feelings. Of course it’s great to have the opportunity to help people who are less privileged, but before leaving home I wonder if I will meet nice people to work with, if we will have “enough” patients (because it feels good to be needed), how the country will be, the food, the hotel….And always, and this time again, after 1 day, I realize that I shouldn’t have worried about anything. After 7 trips I still enjoy working with those “funny” Americans (I’m Dutch) and from the start it is very rewarding: in the clinic people come to us with the hope on their face that we can do something for them or for their children. Unfortunately, we always have to disappoint some of them.

On the day of surgery parents full of trust hand over their child to us, but the kids themselves are less happy at that moment: some of them are crying and screaming when we put the anesthesia mask to their nose and mouth, but after a couple of minutes they are quietly asleep and after 1-2 hours we can already see the result.

Air-Conditioning In The Ward
Originally uploaded by interplast.

In the recovery room mothers (but also fathers and sometimes grandmothers) take care of and comfort their children, looking around with bright smiles on their faces. Like I said: it’s very rewarding to make people a little bit happier.

Teaching in the Recovery Room

Teaching in the Recovery Room
Originally uploaded by interplast.

Cao Lanh, Vietnam - 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.

Li Fa Continues to Comfort Jian Xiu

  Li Fa Continues to Comfort Jian Xiu 
  Originally uploaded by interplast.

Ganzhou CIty, China - What the lens does not show you are the tears on Li Fa's face. He was so happy and thankful that, in uncharacteristic fashion, a small trickle of tears streamed down his face as he talked with us in the recovery room and comforted his beloved daughter. Li Fa's eyes were not the only ones teary, as those of us shared this precious moment with this very kind man.

Ba Ba Comforts his Sleeping Child

Ba Ba Comforts his Sleeping Child
Originally uploaded by interplast.

Ganzhou City, China - Li Fa, Jian Xiu's adopted father (Ba Ba in Mandarin), comforts sleeping Jian Xiu.

Li Fa Pleased with Results

Li Fa Pleased with Results
Originally uploaded by interplast.

Ganzhou City, China - Li Fa gives the doctors a thumbs up, after seeing Jian Xiu's repaired lip. Volunteer recovery room nurse Dee Dee Moll looks on.

Tu Van Will Have The Ability To Close His Mouth

  Tu Van After Surgery 
  Originally uploaded by interplast.

Cao Lanh, Vietnam - 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.

He Was Very Thirsty, Or Just Working Us

  Carla Epps and His Thirstiness 
  Originally uploaded by interplast.

Cao Lanh, Vietnam - 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.

Christina After Surgery

  Christina After Surgery 
  Originally uploaded by interplast.

Azogues, Ecuador - Here´s Christina and Mama the day after surgery.

The full sponsor of this team surgery trip to Azogues, Ecuador is Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), a major supporter of Interplast and its service to children around the world. RMHC has helped thousands of children in some of the poorest regions of the globe to receive life-changing surgeries through Interplast´s programs.

Seeing Interplast´s program first-hand for the first time is a profound experience for me, and makes me even more grateful than ever for the support of our donors and sponsors like RMHC. Thank you so much for making this possible!