R. D. Restrepo1,3, L. M. Fluke1, H. I. Pryor2,3, J. E. Duncan2, K. E. Mann1,3 1Naval Medical Center Portsmouth,Department Of General Surgery,Portsmouth, VA, USA 2Walter Reed National Military Medical Center,Department Of General And Pediatric Surgery,Bethesda, MD, USA 3Uniformed Services University Of The Health Sciences,Department Of Surgery,Bethesda, MD, USA
Introduction: As part of a recurring humanitarian assistance mission designated Continuing Promise 2015 (CP15), the United States Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) deployed to a total of eleven Caribbean and Latin American countries over a six-month deployment. U.S. Navy medical personnel and surgeons, in addition to those from non-governmental organizations, collaborated to offer humanitarian surgical and medical care at each mission stop. We describe the collective surgical experience while aboard during CP15.
Methods: The data analyzed included all patients evaluated and treated by the Directorate of Surgical Services (DSS) of the USNS Comfort between 11 April 2015 and 17 September 2015. A medical chart was created for each patient screened for surgery and these records were utilized for this analysis. Comparative and descriptive statistics were performed to analyze patient demographics, surgical subspecialty performing the procedures, types of General and Pediatric surgical procedures performed by the thirteen operating surgeons, operative times, and complication rates.
Results: Of the 1,256 surgical cases performed aboard USNS Comfort during CP15, 24.8% were General Surgery cases, followed by 16% Ophthalmology, 10.6% Pediatric Surgery, 10% Plastic Surgery, and eight additional specialties with <10% of the cases each. For General Surgery, the most common procedure was inguinal hernia repair (27.6%) followed closely by laparoscopic cholecystectomy (28.2%) and ventral/incisional/umbilical hernia repair (23.4%). The most common procedures within the other specialties respectively were phacoemulsification/cataract excision (64.1%), inguinal hernia/hydrocele/orchidopexy (48.5%), and soft tissue/scar excisions/revisions (38.1%) Total operative time was 1253 hours with a total room time of 1896.5 hours. The identified complication rate was very low at 1.99% across all specialties.
Conclusion: The USNS Comfort platform offers a unique capability to provide vital humanitarian surgical assistance in the Caribbean and Latin American region, greatly enhancing the lives of those that received this world-class care. Future missions will benefit greatly from continued access to surgical assets.