The pediatric cardiac surgical mission concludes

We left UNC 12 days ago to travel to Uganda to train Ugandan health care providers to perform one of the most complex and difficult surgical therapies: open heart cardiac surgery. Building on the work and success of the last two years, Team UNC quickly reestablished, restocked, and reorganized the operating room, cardiac bypass perfusion, and ICU into a fully functional state. During the first four days, two operations were performed each day by Dr. Michael Mill, with the final two cases concluding on Saturday and Monday. The results are that ten Ugandan children from ages 2 to 14 have had their severe cardiac disability corrected, for a lifetime. These children leave the hospital with a scar on their chest as a sign of the work that was done, but free from disability, heart failure, and multiple daily cardiac medications. Their spirit, energy, and appetites have already markedly improved.

We continue to advanced the abilities of Team Uganda towards independence and skill in increasingly more complex surgeries. The goal is long-term sustainability of the pediatric congenital heart surgery program so they can successfully and expertly correct the wide variety of cardiac defects found in the children of this country.

We depart from Kampala today leaving behind unforgettable memories of new and old friends and colleagues. Most importantly, though we sent home from the Mulago Hospital ten children who now look at their lives with hope, excitement, and new-found energy to face the rigors of childhood, school, and life in this developing country.