(Vienna, 08 November 2023) An impressive medical mission recently took place in Ethiopia, where a group of surgeons, including Viktoria König, a specialist in plastic and reconstructive surgery at MedUni Vienna's Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, treated people with serious injuries sustained during the protracted civil war in the northern region of Tigray.
The civil war in Ethiopia, which raged for many years and claimed the lives of more than 600,000 people, only reached a temporary ceasefire last fall. As a result of the ongoing violence, it was too dangerous to provide medical aid on the ground for a long time. This year, however, the opportunity arose to carry out a humanitarian mission in the region. The team, consisting of two Czech plastic surgeons, a Czech surgical nurse, a Czech orthopaedic surgeon and Viktoria König from MedUni Vienna, was able to embark on the trip in October 2023 after intensive preparation.
The mission lasted two weeks, during which Viktoria König and her colleagues operated on site at the University Hospital in Mekele, Tigray, for nine days. On arrival, they were confronted with a large number of patients, many of whom had suffered gunshot wounds. These injuries led to significant bony defects as well as scar and soft tissue deficits that urgently needed to be reconstructed.
The doctors and nursing staff on site worked with great dedication to help the many patients. "Together, we carried out complex operations, often standing in the operating theater until late in the evening," reports Viktoria König. A total of three operating tables with anesthesia were available.
The conditions on site were a far cry from the standards in well-equipped clinics. "Power cuts, unwanted visitors such as cockroaches and birds in the operating room and improvised solutions were the order of the day," says Viktoria König, "but we were still able to prove that a lot can be achieved with good will, flexibility and a strong ethical commitment. And the local staff were also very keen to learn and acquire new techniques."
During the mission, 20 major operations and 19 minor procedures were performed on 12 consecutive operating days. The major operations each included a vascularized bone transfer and free flap plasty. "These operations are among the most demanding in plastic surgery," says Viktoria König. All of the patients were young people under the age of 30 who were suffering from the consequences of the civil war and old gunshot wounds.
"The team's safety was guaranteed thanks to extensive security measures at the hospital and in the surrounding area," reports Viktoria König, "but the memories of the war were omnipresent, as evidenced, for example, by burnt-out tanks on the side of the road and heavily armed people."
This impressive humanitarian mission was made possible by the collaboration of doctors from various countries. Viktoria König is grateful for the support of her department and MedUni Vienna in carrying out this matter close to her heart.