International Surgical Health Initiative (ISHI) conducted its inaugural surgical mission in Centro de Salud Clinic Barbara in San Juan Sacatepequez, Guatemala. In collaboration with Partners for Surgery (PFS), a local nonprofit organization with an already strong relationship with the local Mayan community, ISHI provided fifty-four surgeries to patients who were preselected by PFS during a preliminary triage tour conducted from August 23–29 in the villages surrounding San Juan Sacatepéquez. The team consisted of twenty volunteer—six surgeons, two anesthesiologists, seven nurses, one nurse anesthetist, two auxiliary team members, a photographer, and a journalist.
The team arrived in Guatemala City on October 22 and headed west to Antigua, a former capital of Guatemala for team building and planning. After two days, the team was ready to get to work! On Sunday, October 25, they left Antigua for San Juan Sacatepequez, a small town to the northeast. After a quick stop at Casa Damasco to drop off their bags, the team headed straight for the Centro de Salud Clinic Barbara to triage their patients. The team was then split into three stations— administrative, anesthesia, and surgical. Fifty-eight patients were seen and examined, of whom fifty-six were given dates for surgery. Some of the conditions the team encountered included inguinal hernias, ventral hernias, chronic cholecystitis, hemorrhoid disease, and soft tissue masses. While the patients were being evaluated, the nurses unpacked all the supplies and readied the two operating rooms.
Monday was the first day of surgeries, and the patients and family members were housed onsite behind the clinic. After surgery, they were either admitted as inpatients or discharged back to the accommodations. Translators were of immense importance as many of the patients spoke only Mayan language, K’iche’, which is unrelated to Spanish, often meaning that two interpreters were needed as many of the ISHI team members were non-Spanish speakers.
Although the pace was quite fast, the first day of surgery and those to follow went without any major difficulties. ISHI’s cooperation with PFS—as well as with the local staff at the clinic, including Dr. Boy, the medical director, the nurses, the translators, and medical students—was a great success.
In an effort to provide long-term care to the community of San Juan Sacatepéquez and to create an ongoing relationship with PFS and patients alike, we at ISHI hope that this will be the beginning of an annual trip to the region of Central Guatemala.