Record Number of Surgeries in the Philippines

 

A record day was set by the Pacific Partnership 2012 Team and Project HOPE volunteers who helped perform 35 surgeries aboard the USNS Mercy in the Philippines. A previous record was set at 26 when the team was in Indonesia in June.

Two Project HOPE surgical team members, Dr. Robert Baxt and Dr. Sharon Weintraub, both from Maryland, were on hand to help out with the heavy patient case load. “Dr. Weintraub and I have formed a surgical team, and work well together. We think alike and operate alike, which helps us preform cases safely, quickly, and with good outcomes,” says Dr. Baxt. “We operated on five patients together as a team.”

The types of cases that Dr. Baxt and Dr. Weintraub were involved with were typical to what is seen in the United States, but have grown to more advance stages.

“Most of the surgeries that happened were not very complicated in nature but will increase the patient’s comfort level and ability to live normally,” says Dr. Baxt. “To me it is just about doing the surgeries that are needed for the people. We are just trying to do as much as we can for the people of Samar.”

“We are very commented as a team to do as much as we can, and try to see as many cases as we can,” adds Dr. Weintraub. “It is very exciting to be a part of this team, and we have some really talented surgeons aboard.”

With the high success in the surgery ward, many praises are given to our Project HOPE surgical volunteers.