Patients who undergo liver transplantation go from being very sick to reclaiming their lives. It’s a rapid and rewarding transformation. The notion that there are still places in the world where this surgery isn’t available is a problem. No one should die of liver disease because of lack of funding.
The city of Santa Cruz has surgeons who operate every day. They want to learn how to do liver transplants, but there wasn’t anyone to teach them. It’s an honor to work to help change that.
While our work in Bolivia may not be solving the problem globally, it is making a difference for the physicians and patients there. As surgeons, we don’t often think about our skills not being readily available in other countries. Based on our experiences in Santa Cruz, we encourage other surgeons to be open to volunteer opportunities.
Warren R. Maley, MD
Professor of Surgery
Director, Live Donor Liver Transplant Program
Sidney Kimmel Medical College at
Thomas Jefferson University
Stephen P. Dunn, MD, FACS
Professor of Surgery
Chief, Division of Pediatric Solid Organ
Transplantation
Nemours/Alfred I. DuPont Hospital
for Children
Recommended Citation
(2016)
"Surgeon Speaks,"
Jefferson Surgical Solutions: Vol. 11:
Iss.
2, Article 2.
Available at:
https://jdc.jefferson.edu/jss/vol11/iss2/2
