The beginnings

In 2021 Dr. Samuels and PA Schellhaas invited our team, Dr. Capes, Dr. Mehta, and Dr. Miguelez, to join our first post-CoViD trip.
We traveled to La Antigua, Guatemala, invited by Guatemala Surgery and Common Hope to contribute to a larger surgical camp they run every year out of Minnesota.

SYNOPSIS OF THE TRIPS

The work at hand went smoothly as well. We met our patients on Sunday and learned how long they had been waiting to have their problems. CoVid has delayed everything. We lined as many of them up for surgery as possible. With our four surgeons and a PA team, we ran two Operating Rooms, which allowed us to perform a total of 27 life-changing surgeries during the week we were there.

Our patients presented with a myriad of problems. We encountered women suffering from large fibroid tumors, causing pain and heavy menses for over two years. They were immensely grateful to have access to a solution. Others dealt with severe pelvic organ prolapse with their uterus and bladder pushing out on their perineum.

The surgeries designed to address these problems are very involved and take between 2 and 4 hours each. Therefore, we filled the schedule and ran it as close to clockwork as possible.

All in all, we worked hard, made a difference for the 27 women we reached on this trip, and we pledged to come back in upcoming trips to continue to help and get more women.It was a tremendous joy to resume our activities and re-engage with our mission to reach the women who don’t have access to these surgeries.

Unfortunately, the pandemic had kept us away for too long, but we are back!

In 2023, we travelled to Antigua, Guatemala, for our third surgical mission in this community, May 27 through June 3rd. We partnered with the public hospital system, specifically the Hospital and Surgical Center Obras Sociales del Santo Hermano Pedro. We treated 31 women for pelvic organ prolapse and/or urinary incontinence.

Our team included GYN surgeons Drs Isha Meta, Xana Miguelez, Julie LaCombe, Tracy Capes, and Shreeya Popat. The Anesthesiologists Drs Fernando Minana and Susan Smith. As well as Belle Fredrisk RBN, Alla Mullady RN, and Danitza Aguilar LPN.

In 2024, we travelled to Antigua, Guatemala, for our fourth surgical mission in this community from February 24 to March 2. We partnered again with the public hospital system, specifically with the Hospital and Surgical Center Obras Sociales del Santo Hermano Pedro. We treated 43 women for pelvic organ prolapse and/or urinary incontinence.

Our team included Gynecology surgeons Drs Christine Roy, Terriann Samuels, Julie LaCombe, Andrea Wang, Tracy Capes and Erica Schellhaas PA. Anesthesiologists Drs Nick White, Rajeev Saxenda, and Patricia Rodriguez. As well as CNMs Margo Re and Cassie O’Hara, Danitza Aguilar, Amanda Frazier ST and Robert Rodriguez, OR organizer

PHOTO GALLERY

SUMMARY TRIP

  Team Members Medical Services
Year Surgeons PA Nurses OR days Surgeries Consults
2021 4 1   4 27  
2023 5 2 3 4 31  
2024 6 3 2 4 43  

2021

Team Members

  • 4 Surgeons.

Medical Services

  • 4 OR Days.
  • 27 Surgeries.