Deployed surgical team gets troops back to the fight

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Mike Hammond
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  The team moved quickly to fix the broken part - each person anticipating the moves of others and efficiently using tools to get the job done.

It might have been a pit crew using mechanical skills to keep a car running its best in a weekend NASCAR race, but the prize for members of the 379th Expeditionary Medical Group's surgical team is way different from the fame and fortune of a winning race car taking the checkered flag.

The mobile forward surgical team is deployed here to rapidly forward deploy in case circumstances downrange require additional surgical personnel. However, the benefit of the team's presence here extends throughout the area of responsibility daily.

Maj. (Dr.) Gustavo Lopes, a general surgeon, said the majority of procedures the team performs on this base are relatively routine surgeries like repairing hernias, but that by being available in theater the team saves time and provides a healing environment for troops downrange.

"We provide a great service to these guys. If we weren't here, the procedures we perform would have to be done in forward areas, where the focus should be on urgent care," said Major Lopes, deployed here from the 96th Medical Group, Eglin AFB, Fla. "Here, it is a safer environment and they can recover in less hostile surroundings."

According to the team's operating room nurse, another big benefit of the team's work is reducing time out of the fight for injured military members.

"Since the members can come here to have a surgical procedure, it saves potentially a trip either to Germany or even back home to the U.S., which carries with it additional travel time," said Maj. John Mansuy, deployed from the 99th Medical Group at Nellis AFB, Nev. "Since we're right here, they can fly in, be treated, recover, and get back to the fight more quickly."

This was the case for a U.S. Army Soldier who suffered a hernia while serving at a forward operating base in Afghanistan. Local medical personnel diagnosed the injury, and consulted with Dr. Lopes, who accepted the patient. The Soldier flew in to this location, was examined by the surgeon, and scheduled quickly for a hernia repair.

During the procedure, Capt. (Dr.) Brian Bane, an anesthesiologist from the 81st Medical Group, Keesler AFB, Miss., administered general anesthesia and monitored the Soldier's vital signs and airway throughout the surgery. Major Lopes, assisted by Major Mansuy, Master Sgt. Shannon Ray, and Staff Sgt. John Kertulis as surgical technicians, repaired the hernia and completed the procedure in less than one hour from the time the patient walked into the room until he was taken to a recovery room.

"It will generally take between 2 weeks and a month of recovery time here before the patient is ready to go back to their unit downrange," Captain Bane said. "It's good to know we are here to help fix injured servicemembers and get them back into the fight quickly and safely."