MMFC In Rwanda 2015: Surgery: Day 1

Welcome to the 2015 MMFC Rwanda surgical trip blog! My name is Nick Satwicz and I will be keeping you updated about our group's experience throughout the week. Leading the group is Dr. Jagdish Dhingra, head surgeon on the trip. In addition, our team is comprised of another surgeon, Dr. Merry Sebelik, two anesthesiologists, Drs. Paul Satwicz and Stewart Chritton, two OR nurses, Nancy Satwicz and Tatyana Lashchuk, two PACU nurses, Shannon O'Keeffe and Jana Barkman, as well as myself, the team administrator, gopher, and first-time blogger.

In total, nine of us traveled here on a long 24 hour journey, most slightly jet lagged but excited about the trip ahead, we arrived at the hotel around midnight, did our best to rest up and woke up early the next day ready to get the week started. Our point of contact in Rwanda, Vianney, put us up in very comfortable accommodations at the East African Villas. The rooms and grounds are beautiful and the food is exquisite as well. All the staff is excited and cheerful to help us with anything we need. Despite the quick turn around after a short night, a hearty breakfast got the team up and running and ready to take on the day.

Over the next week, the group will operate out of the Kibagabaga Hospital, providing very clean and serviceable rooms to operate out of. The staff there welcomed us with open arms and has intricately worked with us in our operations.

The group spent the morning setting up the operating and recovery rooms while simultaneously triaging patients. By the early afternoon, the hospital was set up and the teams had screened numerous potential patients for the early part of the week.

In total, we screened about 15 individuals in the morning. Two were unfortunately turned away, one for a pregnancy and one for high blood pressure, but they remain strong candidates for surgery next year. After a few hours working through the language barrier with the aid of interpreters and local patients with English understanding, we narrowed down a list of patients for the next few days.

The afternoon's agenda consisted of two surgeries. The first patient, a beautiful young 22 year old woman from Kigali, named Patricia, got the group off to a great start with a very successful surgery, despite putting up quite a sizable fight as she awoke in a daze from the anesthesia. She will be monitored over night but is awake and talking and looks great after the operation.

Next, the group operated on a rather young looking 35 year old mother of two boys, ages 3 and 15. Anastasie, a business woman, traveled a great distance from the Rwanda-Congo border for thyroid surgery. Just as the first, Anastasie's surgery went very well and she looks great. Awake, smiling and talking, she will be monitored as well tonight but should be ready to rejoin her family come tomorrow.

One of the local nurses will stay over night to look after both women tonight. Many of tomorrow's patients will stay overnight as well, awaiting their surgery.

After a full day of work, the group will regroup, shower, and enjoy another delicious meal and a beer at the hotel. Overall, it was a very successful first day in Rwanda. The people here are amazing. From the people on the street to our hotel staff to the hospital workers to our very own patients, everyone has greeted us with incredible kindness. We are fortunate to take care of these people. Furthermore, this team, the core of which has been together for years, has been nothing but welcoming since my family and I joined just a day ago. Each member works incredibly hard with great care for each of their patients and the chemistry between them is impeccable. I'm fortunate to be part of such a strong and welcoming group.

Thank you for reading and I look forward to keeping you updated throughout the week with all of our experiences here. We are all excited for many more great days here in this beautiful country!