Photo By Master Sgt. Amanda Stanford | U.S. Air Force Maj. Dan Sehrt, an anesthesiologist with the 711th Human Performance...... read more read more
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CHOLUTECA, Honduras - The anesthesiologists attached to the team of U.S. military medical professionals deployed to Honduras in support of Resolute Sentinel 21 play a critical role in the life-changing surgeries being provided.
Without anesthesia, surgeries would be longer operations and put the patients under extreme stress.
“The job of an anesthesiologist is simple: we make sure patients stay safe during the preoperative period from a cardiopulmonary perspective,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Dan Sehrt, an anesthesiologist with the 711th Human Performance Wing, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. “We accomplish this while doing our best to minimize their pain from some of the larger, more invasive surgeries.”
While anesthesia plays a vital role in all surgeries regardless of country, the surgeries being conducted in Choluteca offer their own challenges for the doctors that anesthesia needs to overcome.
“With limited resources and equipment that is vastly different from what we use in the states, it takes a highly-skilled anesthesiologist to be safe, but innovative, to ensure we accomplish our surgical goals,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Timothy Baumgartner, the Resolute Sentinel 21 surgical readiness training exercise (SURGRETE) team chief. “Thankfully, our team of resident and staff anesthesiologists have been adapting and overcoming these unique challenges to ensure patient safety during our surgeries.”
While the surgeries have challenges, this has been an opportunity for the anesthesia team to hone their skills and expand their skillsets which sets them up for future deployments.
“When we work in garrison, we have additional doctors, technicians and machines available if something goes wrong,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Kimpreet Kaur, an anesthesiologist with the 59th Medical Wing, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. “These limited conditions help prepare us for what we might see if we deploy downrange in the future, which in turn will help us save countless lives.”
As the team begins their second week of surgeries, a number of members have expressed their gratitude for the hospital and local patients for allowing them the opportunity to conduct these surgeries.
“Being here has been an incredible experience,” said U.S. Army Spc. Estrella Avila, an operating technician with the Forward Surgical Section, Joint Task Force-Bravo, Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras. “We’ve been able to come together as a team from across the Americas and provide high-quality care to the patients here - I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity.”
| Date Taken: | 05.21.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 05.25.2021 08:05 |
| Story ID: | 397310 |
| Location: | CHOLUTECA, HN |
| Web Views: | 407 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Resolute Sentinel 21: Anesthesiologists play critical role in life-changing surgeries, by MSgt Amanda Stanford, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
US Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM)
