In advanced countries like the United States, it is rare for strep throat, a common and highly treatable infection, to lead to rheumatic heart disease, a life-threatening condition. In underdeveloped nations like Rwanda, however, rheumatic heart disease claims the lives of many children and young adults because medications, like antibiotics, and interventions are simply not available.Last month, a team from Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), Massachusetts General Hospital, and other hospitals from across the United States, returned from an annual trip to King Faisal Hospital in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda, to perform heart valve replacements and repairs for Rwandan residents who would otherwise die without them. Led by Dr. R. Morton Bolman, Chief of Cardiac Surgery at BWH, Team Heart was formed in 2007 as a ten-year mission to provide cardiac surgical care for Rwandans with rheumatic heart disease, as well as medical and surgical training for physicians and nurses at King Faisal Hospital.“This nation of more than 11 million people has less than one quarter of the number of physicians and nurses in our hospital in Boston,” said Dr. Bolman. “Team Heart’s ultimate goal is for Rwanda to have a sustainable cardiac surgery program at the end of our ten-year mission.”For each of the annual mission trips, Team Heart travels with a group of 35-40 individuals, comprising surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, perfusionists, residents in surgery and anesthesia, pharmacists, and volunteer support staff. An “at home” support team at BWH also helps in many ways, from loaning surgical instruments and enabling the purchase of supplies at cost, to packing, shipping, grant writing, and fundraising. The highly-specialized cardiovascular team at BWH also provides remote support during each mission.
http://healthhub.brighamandwomens.org/
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