Return to Main Menu

Perfusionist reaches out to help Mongolians by Kathy D. Shanahan Clinical Services  Today’s Mongolia is hardly the image of strength and conquest many may envision. Certainly not that of a mighty Genghis Kahn carving out the largest contiguous land empire in world history. Instead, the Asian country struggles from the collapse of the former USSR, its social services eroding, its medical facilities crumbling, and its medical supplies lacking.  In May 2001, Project Open Hearts decided to help.  Jeff Acsell, faculty in the College of Health Profession's Cardiovascular Perfusion program, was among those recruited for the team. Along with Acsell, former MUSC anesthesiologist Pat Babb enlisted a former MUSC cardiothoracic surgeon, John Handy. These three agreed to take part in the project, along with 22 others from around the United States. A non-profit organization based in Denver, Colo., Project Open Hearts works with foreign medical staff to provide first-hand surgical training and to share medical technology and expertise. Their mission is to improve world health and cross-cultural understanding. On May 18, the Open Hearts team headed for Mongolia, bound for the capital city of Ulaanbaatar to work with Dr. Baasanjav, chief cardiothoracic surgeon, and his medical team.  Acsell said that though the Mongolian surgeons and staff were considered well trained in the Soviet Union, none of their patients had survived open-heart surgery since December 2000. The cause of the high mortality rate had to be found, and the Mongolian medical team was hoping that the mission trip would help identify the problems as well as the solutions. “The biggest obstacles faced by the open-heart team were the lack of proper facilities, equipment, and supplies, and the lack of proper communication between the members of the team,” Acsell said. The equipment was indeed old and outdated. Though their heart-lung machine was only 10 years old, the Soviet-made oxygenators dated from the ’60s and early ’70s. The only source for equipment and supplies were donations and, in some cases, the families of the patient were forced to solicit for those supplies themselves, Acsell said. The lack of communication among the surgeon, anesthesiologist, and perfusologist was another factor hindering positive outcomes. In order to perform a successful operation each must be aware of what the other is doing at all times, he said. The American team performed six successful open-heart operations in four days.  Sharing of techniques and procedures between the teams benefitted everyone involved. “One of my most memorable experiences occurred at the end of the week,” Acsell said. “The extended family of one of the patients had set up a banquet in the basement of the hospital and invited the hospital staff and the American team to feast with them. When the Americans entered the room, everyone stood up and cheered. The heartfelt appreciation was incredibly moving.  “It was among the top 10 best days of my life,” remembers Acsell. He said he was overwhelmed by the generosity of the people, their kindness and gratefulness.   “Beyond a doubt, I would do it all again.”