Neuro team departs for Paraguay
This week, members of the Neurosurgery and Neurology Institute (NNI) of Solidarity Bridge are in Asunción, Paraguay, for our fourth medical mission trip to the Hospital Nacional de Itauguá. The primary goal established by the host hospital is to expand training in surgical treatment of arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). AVMs are most often a congenital issue. They can cause brain bleeds, strokes, seizures, pain, or difficulty with movement, speech and vision. When AVMs cause symptoms like these, surgery is the most common and effective form of treatment.
Our team includes medical director Dr. Richard Moser, AVM surgeon Dr. Nirav Patel, neuro anesthesiologist Dr. Grace Kim, surgical technician Carlos Vazquez, neurosurgical resident Dr. Silvia Vaca, and Solidarity Bridge program director Lindsay Doucette. We will work alongside Dr. Jose Kuzli and his team in the the hospital’s neurosurgery department and assist with operations for three AVM patients. These patients were identified as needing surgery over the past year, but pandemic-related challenges disrupted previous efforts to treat them.
In addition to providing critical care for these patients, Dr. Kim will continue instruction in the sub-specialty of neuro-anesthesia. Dr. Nirav Patel will offer a lecture on decision-making and surgical strategy to avoid embolization and improve safety for deep and grade III brain AVMs.
Team members are also hand-carrying valuable equipment, medicines, and supplies for the hospital’s neurosurgery service and to support training in the new microsurgery lab. We look forward to reuniting with our colleagues and friends in Paraguay to provide much-needed care for the three noted patients, and to better equip our hosts to continue to expand their neurosurgery capacity long after our departure.
Through partnerships and collaborative actions that are measurable and sustainable, the Neurosurgery and Neurology Institute works to build capacity and expertise in Bolivia and Paraguay in order to increase access to safe, affordable and timely health care.
We are committed to alleviating the suffering, death and disability from neurological disorders and injuries that disproportionately impact patients in the countries where we serve.