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Surgical operations
In Vietnam, thousands of children suffer from malformations and some form of disability, making their social integration problematic. The poverty of families and limited resources of existing health care organisations result in a large number of children who, for lack of proper care, are being condemned to live on the margins of society. Since 1996, Children Action has been organising surgical missions in Vietnam.
Surgery for treatment and to train local medical teams
Every year, top European surgeons take part in around 12 missions to Vietnam, organised to enable children to undergo surgical operation in their homeland. Harelips, orthopaedic malformations, burn injuries as well as other pathologies are treated during these missions. The local medical teams benefit from the expertise of foreign surgeons to perfect their own methods and practice new techniques.(see video here)
Since 2007 Children Action decided to support treatment for Vietnamese children with heart diseases and whose families are too poor to pay for treatment. The surgery takes place at the Heart Institute and the Tamduc Clinic in Hô Chi Minh City.
The aim is not to treat the maximum number of cases, but to ensure that children receive the highest quality treatment and follow-up.
  
Conclusive results
- 42 611consultations carried out by European and Vietnamese medical teams.
- 2 778 surgical operations on children with harelips.
- 3 596 orthopaedic operations.
- 1 650 surgical operations on burn injuries.
- 204 surgical operations for heart diseases
- The fitting of 2 743 orthopaedic prostheses.
- The distribution of more than 700 wheelchairs.
Cost
One surgical operation (burn injuries, orthopeadic malformations, harelips) costs approx. CHF 250 (170 €) including supplies and follow-up.
A one-week mission to perform surgery on 30 children, with a European team, costs approx. CHF 12 000 (8 000 €), including training.
A wheelchair costs CHF 150 (100 €).
One surgical operation for heart conditions CHF 2 240 (1 520 €).
  
Team
Scientific Expert for Surgical Missions: Professor Claude Le Coultre, Emeritus Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Geneva
Project Leader - Orthopaedic Surgery: Professor Michel Dutoit, Chief Medical Officer of Suisse Romande Orthopaedic Hospital, Lausanne.
Project Leader Burn Injuries: Doctor Jean-Claude Castede, Surgeon, Bordeaux
Local Coordinator: Mrs Giang Ta Thi Minh, Vietnam
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