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Hernia surgery in the South American woodlands: A surgical adventure in Argentina

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Abstract

Background

Because of the socioeconomic conditions existing today in Argentina, I decided to operate on hernias and incisional hernias among the poorest population in their living environment.

Methods

To achieve this, I organized a group of 19 people, including resident surgeons and technicians, transferring everything in order to set up three surgical rooms in an old house, in the worst surgical environment, in the middle of the woodlands in the northeast tropical part of our country. It was like war-trench surgery but in peacetime. We successfully operated on 83 cases with different techniques in 4 days, in a trip that lasted a week.

Results

After 18 months, there is not even one complication or recurrence.

Conclusions

Because of this experience, I must remark that the patients’ immunity-cicatricial condition is essential to success.

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References

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Franz Ugahary, of the Rotary Club from Tiel (Holland) for the financial support, Ford Argentina for the vans, the drivers, and all the travel expenses, and Hospital I. Pirovano for the instruments to make the surgery possible.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Av. Santa Fe 3256 1º “B” Cap. Fed., Buenos Aries, Argentina Cp: 1425

    Leon Herszage

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  1. Leon Herszage
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Leon Herszage.

Additional information

This paper was presented at the Seventh Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Hernia Society, in Orlando, Fla. USA, in February 2004.

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Herszage, L. Hernia surgery in the South American woodlands: A surgical adventure in Argentina. Hernia 8, 306–310 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10029-004-0253-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10029-004-0253-2

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