missions

February 2009

Surgical Team: The surgical team is working at a new facility this year- the Centro Militar Hospital in Guatemala City, and will be sponsored by Fundacion Internacional para Niños which is under the direction of Naomi Bronstein.

Dental Team: We are planning another trip to remote mountainous villages near Chiquimulilla

Most recent missions

October 2008

Surgical Team: HSF’s surgical team went to Boca del Rio, Veracruz, Mexico. HSF was sponsored by mayor’s office and a government agency called DIF. Dr. Charles H. Stewart of Provo, Utah (DRSTEWARTMD.com) was our plastic surgeon, Alan R. Patterson was the anesthesiologist, and our team leader was Sandra S. Mangum. We performed 31 procedures on 24 patients. 14 cases were cleft related.

September 2008

Dental Services: HSF dental team returned to Guatemala. The mission leader was Dr. Richard Call from the Denver area. The team was composed of 8 dentist and 8 dental assistants. 552 patients received direct care and hundreds more received screening, dental health education, and oral health materials. Patients receiving direct services were primarily affiliated with the Chorti Indian tribe living in rural isolated mountainous regions of Chiquimula and Zacapa in Eastern Guatemala. Patients able to get to the public hospital in Chiquimula for an intensive one day service project (approximately 120 patients were seen on a Sunday afternoon). Five hundred and fifty-two patients received a total of 850 extractions, 365 restorations (primarily in maxillary anterior and permanent molars), 58 sealants, 85 topical fluoride varnish treatments and assorted other clinical care. The dollar value of this diagnostic and clinical care, based on conservative Colorado fees, was approximately $221,500.

February 2008

Surgical Team: Our team of 24 returned to Guatemala City and worked at the new Hospital Nino Jesus that is operated by the Pediatric Foundation of Guatemala. Our surgeons were Faizi Siddiqi (www.utahplasticsurgery.org), Steven H. Warnock (drstevenwarnock.com,) Galen Perdikis, and Larry Leonard. Anesthesiologists were Alan R. Patterson, C. Thayne Wilson, and Michael Taylor. We performed 60 procedures on 50 patients. 38 procedures were cleft lip or cleft palate related. Most of the funding for this trip was from The Smile Train and the Plastic Surgery Education Foundation. We greatly appreciated the funding we received from them.

October 2007

Surgical Team: A small surgical team of 12-14 people traveled to Cuauhtemoc, Chihuahua, Mexico. The trip was sponsored by the Lion's Club of Cuauhtemoc. Dr. Charles H. Stewart was our surgeon and Alan R. Patterson the anesthesiologist. We operated on 29 patients who had a wide variety of conditions that required plastic surgery.

September 2007

Dental Team: The team traveled to Guatemala City and then to the Chiquimulilla area. Two teams of 9 traveled in small 4-wheel drive vehicles to remote sites identified and prepared by Asorech, a community development organization (NGO). 681 patients received direct care and hundreds more received screening, dental health education, and oral health materials. Patients received 1,396 extractions, 170 restorations and assorted other clinical care. The dollar value of this diagnostic and clinical care, based on conservative Colorado fees, was $272,890.

January 2007

Surgical Team: Surgeons Faizi Siddiqi, Jed R. Bindrup, and Charles H. Stewart and anesthesiologists along with three complete OR teams and additional recovery room nurses went to Guatemala City. The trip was sponsored by HSF and The Fundacion Pediatrica de Guatemalteca. 54 children received surgical intervention. Two of the children needed complex surgeries and would have had to travel to the United States to receive help had our team not traveled to Guatemala.

October 2006

Surgical Team: Our team returned to Cuauhtemoc, Chihuahua, Mexico. For the first time, we were able to help children with microtia- a congenital deformity of the outer ear, as well as patients needing surgery for cleft lips and palates, and other conditions from injuries or birth defects. We performed 25 surgeries for patients who could not afford to pay local plastic surgeons to care for them.

February 2006

Dental and Surgical teams visited Guatemala with the largest number of volunteers yet. The Dental Team is now able to do dental restorations as well as extractions.  Donations from local businesses allowed the team to purchase portable dental units and a hand-held x-ray machine. HSF was able to help more people than on previous trips.

October 2005

Surgical Team: Our team was accompanied to Cuauhtemoc, Chihuahua, Mexico by Dr. Robert Rey (Dr. 90210) and a camera crew from the E! Entertainment television channel. Dr. Charles H. Stewart was assisted by Dr. Rey on the procedures that were performed. The TV episode that was filmed is still being broadcast on the E! Entertainment Channel.