Dane M. Barrett, MD, a facial plastic surgeon and assistant professor from the Department of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences at Duke, collaborated with the non-profit volunteer organization, Healing the Children Northeast, to embark on an inaugural, exploratory surgical trip to Bugando Medical Center (BMC).
Healing the Children Northeast helped organize a team of 21 volunteers from New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. Among the lead surgeons were Dr. Manoj Abraham, attending faculty at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai in Manhattan, and clinical associate professor at New York Medical College, and Dr. William Dougherty, an attending faculty at EVMS. The team exhibited a diverse range of expertise, including surgeons, anesthesiologists, hospitalists, speech language pathologists, nurses, scrub techs, and team administrators. Four members of the team were affiliated, either presently or in the past, with Duke University - Dr. Barrett himself, Debbie Pan, PGY-4 Otolaryngology resident, Andrea Chamberlain, a certified plastic surgery nurse, and Katherine Wrzesniewska, a clinical and OR nurse.
The Duke Global Health Institute has an ongoing partnership with BMC in other fields such as medical oncology, internal medicine, radiation oncology, and pediatrics, but none up to this point with otolaryngology. Kristin Schroeder, MD, a pediatric oncologist on faculty with Duke Department of Pediatrics and Duke Global Health Institute, has been working with BMC since 2014. She connected Dr. Barrett with the only plastic and reconstructive surgeon at BMC, Francis Tegete, MD, to make this trip possible.
In August 2023, a team of 21 volunteers, including local surgeons specializing in plastic and otolaryngology subspecialties, performed surgeries at Bugando Medical Center in Mwanza, Tanzania.
During the trip, the team carried out a wide range of facial plastic and reconstructive procedures, totaling more than 55 in number. These procedures encompassed primary and revision cases such as cleft lip repair and palatoplasty, the placement of tissue expanders, removal or reduction of congenital masses, intricate scar revisions, and the correction of facial defects using diverse reconstructive techniques like ear grafts, rib grafts, paramedian forehead flaps, and pectoralis flaps.
In addition to the surgical component of the trip, there was an emphasis on education within the specialties represented by the team of volunteers. Lectures and academic discussions on subjects such as speech surgery, facial reanimation, pediatric anesthesia care, speech and swallowing considerations in the cleft patient, and nasal reconstruction were among the topics that were covered in the course of the week. The team also held meetings with hospital administrators to begin discussions on the development of a long-term, sustainable collaboration between Duke University, Healing the Children Northeast, and Bugando Medical Center.
Debbie Pan, MD, shared her thoughts on the experience, saying, "I'm incredibly grateful for the chance to volunteer with this amazing team and work alongside the welcoming and knowledgeable Tanzanian staff. Dr. Barrett's mentorship and invitation for me to join this trip were instrumental in confirming my interest in facial plastics.
I believe that any meaningful medical or surgical trip should start with a sincere commitment to building long-term partnerships. Dr. Schroeder's dedication and the groundwork laid by the Duke Global Health Institute in Tanzania paved the way for impactful work that our department can continue.
I've also been inspired by the collaboration between our team and the Tanzanian counterparts. This trip emphasized the importance of teamwork in delivering high-quality patient care, especially when dealing with complex cases.
Participating in such an experience during my residency was unexpected and it has significantly influenced my growth as a surgeon. The complexity of the reconstructions and pathologies we encountered challenged us to think creatively. I encourage others to seek out opportunities for personal and professional growth and Duke has no shortage of opportunities."