Six Ukrainian orthopaedic trauma surgeons traveled to Nashville, Tennessee, to attend the annual meeting of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association and take part in a medical exchange at Vanderbilt Health. The doctors shared their experience treating complex combat injuries and learned surgical techniques that they have already begun using since returning to Ukraine.
This was reported by Razom for Ukraine.
The Ukrainian delegation attended the annual meeting of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) and visited Vanderbilt Health Medical Center in Nashville. The trip was supported by Razom for Ukraine and the Canada-Ukraine Foundation.
During the medical exchange, Ukrainian specialists presented their experience treating complex injuries to their American colleagues, including combat-related wounds involving major bone defects. As part of the Grand Rounds program at Vanderbilt, the doctors delivered presentations and participated in operating room activities.
A separate session at the OTA conference focused on the surgical treatment of injuries in wartime conditions. It was titled “Sirens, Blackouts, and Defects: Surgery for War Injuries in Ukraine.” During their presentations, Ukrainian doctors described treating severe injuries amid enormous pressure on the medical system, power outages, and targeted attacks on medical infrastructure.
Dr. Roman Haida, a professor of orthopaedic surgery at Brown University, said conference participants were impressed by the scale of injuries treated by Ukrainian specialists and the methods they use.
“At the OTA Annual Meeting, the Ukrainian delegation shared their experience and techniques for managing large bone defects resulting from the war. The scale of the injuries and the innovative methods used to treat these complex traumas impressed the audience. Several conference participants offered to help in any way they could,” he said.
After returning to Ukraine, the surgeons began applying techniques they had learned during the exchange. These include approaches to treating open fractures and using external fixation devices. According to the organizers, the first results for patients have been positive.
Leda Lada, a member of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation's board of directors, emphasized the importance of taking Ukrainian medical professionals' practical needs into account when organizing international assistance.
“Supporting Ukrainian doctors and surgeons first and foremost means knowing how to listen to them... Understanding the specific challenges medical professionals face makes it possible to identify their needs and develop practical and effective solutions,” she said.
Alex Domaradski, a project manager at Razom for Ukraine, also highlighted the experience of Ukrainian surgeons who have spent years treating combat injuries every day.
“Ukrainian surgeons have been treating war injuries every day for years, gaining experience with a volume of trauma that few colleagues anywhere in the world have ever seen... For Razom and the Canada-Ukraine Foundation, it was an honor to make this exchange possible,” he said.
The organizers also emphasized the need to provide emergency services, civilian workers, and medical teams on the front lines with the supplies they need to work during the winter. This includes medical professionals who continue performing operations during power outages.
Photo: Razom for Ukraine
Author: Danylo Pievchev