Surgery.

Friday afternoon I was able to observe a couple surgeries. Non-medical crew can sign-up to watch a surgery and I was fortunate enough to get a slot, as the slots fill up quickly. I was able to observe 2 surgeries. The first was a huge tumor, called Ameloblastoma of the mandible. It is a rare benign tumor that develops in the enamel of the teeth. These tumors rarely spread to other parts of the body, but the lesions can cause severe abnormalities of the face and jaw (picture below). This particular tumor has been growing for several years and if not removed the 36 year old man would die from suffocation. The surgery involved removing the mans jaw and bottom row of teeth. A temporary metal plate was inserted to help hold the skin in place until he is able to come back for surgery in 3 months (while the ship is in Togo). The man will then have a bone graft from his hip to re-build a jaw. 6 months after that, the man will be able to visit a dentist to have dentures placed if desired. Dr. Gary Parker who is the Chief Medical Officer of Mercy Ships and maxillofacial surgeon performed the surgery and it was a blessing to be in his operating room and to see such a humble surgeon work. Dr. Parker arrived on the ship 24 years ago for a 3 month stay and never went home. His heart and love for his patients is a powerful example to all that he comes in contact with.

Pictures....

Before.

Tumor on table.
Metal plate being place to help make the shape of a chin.

Skin being sutured up... you can see where the metal plate is.

The second surgery that I observed was a woman's goiter being removed. A goiter is an enlargement of the thyroid gland, but is not cancer. It is a swollen thyroid gland and the size may range from a single small nodule to a large neck lump. A lot of women in Africa will have large goiters because they do not receive enough iodine in their diets and iodine is needed to produce thyroid hormone. The use of iodized table salt in the US prevents iodine deficiency. However, a lack of enough iodine is still common in central Asia, the Andes region of South America, and central Africa. This was something that I did know until just last week, but find it very interesting.

The operating Room... that is me to the left.