The Global Surgery Center, part of the Department of Surgery, actively creates new virtual opportunities for discussion, education, and engagement to strengthen surgery around the world. These events are made possible through partnerships with universities and individuals living in areas affected by war and natural disasters. The center currently hosts two online programs: the Global Trauma Collaboration and the Global Cardiothoracic Surgery Casablanca Case Series.
Global Trauma Collaboration
More than two years ago, an anonymous surgeon in Myanmar contacted Dr. Kenneth Mattox, Distinguished Professor and former longtime chief of staff at Ben Taub Hospital, and Dr. Rachel W. Davis, Assistant Professor of Surgery, for further assistance. I asked for it. Supporting trauma surgery curricula in Southeast Asian countries. Due to the civil war, many surgeons in Myanmar have been removed from their jobs and there is a lack of support for formal trauma curricula. Violence is steadily increasing, increasing the need for trauma training among healthcare professionals.
To address this need, Professor Davis collaborated with the global surgical community, including faculty from the University of Utah, Stony Brook University in New York, and the Medical College of Wisconsin, to create the Global Trauma Collaboration to support emergency medical care in Myanmar. Did. As part of this program, an average of 50 to 100 healthcare professionals attend biweekly educational sessions. In each one-hour session, speakers will present a variety of requested topics, including conflict trauma resuscitation, renal trauma management, intra-abdominal vascular injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder, and chemical warfare.
“It's incredible to see clinicians traveling for hours by bike, foot, and other means to receive health training,” Davis said. “Internet and electricity can be a challenge, but they are determined to improve their knowledge and skills in trauma care so they can help civilians affected by war.”
World Cardiothoracic Surgery Casablanca Case Series
The Global Cardiothoracic Surgery Casablanca Case Series was created after a series of lectures by Dr. Todd Rosengart, professor and chair, at the Mohamed V de Sciences de la Santé University in Casablanca, Morocco. It started with cooperation. Residents and faculty from Baylor College of Medicine will participate, along with dozens of learners, trainees and faculty from Mohammed V de Sciences de la Sante University. Each cardiothoracic surgical team meets for his bimonthly case series, along with Dr. Hisham Ben-Youssef, director of cardiac surgery at Mohammed University, and Dr. Lauren Baron, assistant professor of surgery at Baylor University. The series consists of his five-part curriculum, where topics are carefully selected and recent cases are discussed. These case studies provide a unique educational opportunity for both sides to engage in conversations that were previously unavailable. Teachers and learners will have the opportunity to see and explore the management of a variety of cases that are not common in their area.
In the future, the Center for Global Surgery will work to create and support virtual training programs such as the Global Trauma Collaboration and the Global Cardiothorac Surgery Casablanca Case Series.
“This was beneficial to everyone involved,” Davis said. “Healthcare should be politically neutral and accessible regardless of geographic location. These programs are great because we are committed to making it easier.”
Written by Tiffany Hurston, Communication Specialist at Michael E. DeBakey Surgery