Feature Story:
BU Surgeons Lead Team in Repair of Craniofacial Disorders in Ukraine
Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine (BUGSDM) Associate Professor and Director of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Boston Medical Center Dr. Pushkar Mehra visited Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine from September 25 to October 3 as part of the Smiles International Foundation, Smiles of Ukraine program. Accompanying Dr. Mehra on this trip was Dr. Daniel Jeong OMFS 09.
The mission of the Smiles International Foundation is to establish longitudinal interdisciplinary clinics which become self-sufficient within their host countries treating underprivileged children with dento-facial cleft and craniofacial deformities for free, throughout the children's development.
As part of the Smiles of Ukraine program, Drs. Mehra and Jeong worked
with Smiles International Foundation President and Founder Dr. Jeff
Moses, Dr. Jim Bertz, a team of specialized nurses from the United
States, and a team of Ukrainian doctors and surgical staff to provide
pre and post-operative consultations to approximately 100 Ukrainian
children and facial reconstructive surgeries to approximately 20. This
was the sixth Smiles Ukraine trip.
"The first few trips focused on teaching infection control and sterilization to our partners as well as bringing over some of the necessary equipment," said Dr. Jeong, who was thrilled to get a chance to join Dr. Mehra on this trip as part of his fourth and final year as a resident at BUGSDM. Dr. Jeong continued, "Performing surgery at local hospitals in Ukraine is still much different than at Boston Medical Center, but the one thing that remains the same is the feeling you get from correcting a deserving patient's craniofacial disorder and restoring them to some semblance of a normal life."
"Prior to the Smiles International Foundation's involvement, there were
no hospitals performing maxillofacial surgery in young children," said
Dr. Mehra. "The surgeons were not trained and there was a lack of
adequate anesthesia and surgical equipment. These children faced
anywhere from a 4 to 6 year wait for surgery." Dr. Mehra continued, "The
biannual surgical trips have laid a foundation for early treatment of
affected children as they are now operated on within months of birth.
This has significant psychological and functional benefits for patients
as well as their parents. I am proud to be a part of this program and I
look forward to Boston University taking a leadership role in Smiles of
Ukraine future trips."
On behalf of Smiles International Foundation and Boston University, Dr. Mehra plans to lead biannual visits to Dnepropetrovsk. Volunteer surgeons, anesthesiologists, and philanthropic donors are needed to join and strengthen this program.
"I applaud Dr. Mehra and Dr. Jeong for volunteering their time and expertise to this worthy program," said Dean Jeffrey Hutter. "The Smiles International Foundation provides outreach to deserving underserved communities and BUGSDM is proud to join forces with them in Ukraine."
