Mission Reports

Paraguay:

Asunción - September 11 to September 20, 2008

An international team of more than 50 medical and non-medical Operation Smile volunteers will be working in AsunciÃ³n to change the lives of children from throughout Paraguay who are suffering with facial deformities.

Plastic surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, pediatricians, a dentist, a speech therapist, a child life specialist and others will be working together in AsunciÃ³n at Hospital San Jorge Del ElÃ©rcito, providing free physical examinations and free reconstructive surgeries to children and young adults who want the chance at a normal life. The Operation Smile international mission team includes volunteers from Ecuador, Panama and the United States, who will be working side-by-side with local Paraguayan medical volunteers.

Since 2005, Operation Smile medical volunteers have provided more than 1,200 Paraguayan children and young adults with free physical examinations, and more than 450 have received life-changing surgery during international medical missions.

First international mission: 2005
International mission sites: AsunciÃ³n
Local mission sites: AsunciÃ³n

Asunción - June 18 to June 22, 2008

An Operation Smile team of volunteers worked in AsunciÃ³n to change the lives of children from throughout Paraguay. The mission team, including more than 60 medical and non-medical volunteers from Brazil, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Peru and the United States, along with local Paraguayan medical volunteers at Hospital San Jorge Del ElÃ©rcito, performed 226 physical examinations and provided new smiles to 47 patients to children and young adults who wanted the chance at a normal life.

The mission team included plastic surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, a pediatrician, a dentist, speech therapists, child life therapists and others.

Operation Smile student volunteers on the mission team distributed donated Oral-B Satin Floss at schools and orphanages while teaching about dental hygiene. The donated Oral-B Satin Floss is part of the companyâs âShare the Joy of a Smileâ campaign, which began in February.

Since 2005, Operation Smile medical volunteers have provided more than 1,450 Paraguayan children and young adults with free physical examinations, and more than 530 have received life-changing surgery during international medical missions.

First international mission: 2005
International mission sites: AsunciÃ³n
Local mission sites: AsunciÃ³n

Asunción - August 1 to August 6, 2007

An Operation Smile internationally supported local mission team with more than 50 medical and non-medical volunteers were at San Jorge Hospital in Asunción to provide free medical evaluations and surgery to children born with facial deformities.

The Operation Smile team of plastic surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, a dentist, speech therapist and others worked side-by-side with the Paraguayan medical team to treat children and young adults suffering with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities. The Operation Smile team consisted of volunteers from Brazil, Ecuador, Honduras, South Africa, and the United States to provide 125 free medical evaluations and give 41 patients life-changing surgeries.

Since 2005, Operation Smile medical volunteers have provided more than 700 Paraguayan children and young adults with free medical evaluations, and more than 250 have received life-changing surgery during international medical missions.

First international mission: 2005

International mission sites: Asunción

Mission Images: (Click to enlarge)

Asunción - September 14 to September 22, 2006

Hundreds of families from throughout Paraguay traveled to the capital city of Asunción, hoping that their children would receive free life-changing surgery. An Operation Smile international team of 52 medical and non-medical volunteers provided 422 free medical evaluations and 137 free reconstructive surgeries to children and young adults suffering with facial deformities. Operation Smile volunteers from Canada, the United States and Venezuela worked together with Paraguayan medical and non-medical volunteers to treat patients at Hospital San Jorge de Ejercito, a military hospital in Asunción. The team consisted of plastic surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, a pediatrician, dentist, speech pathologist and other medical professionals who gave these children new hope and new smiles. Operation Smile also conducted an education conference to provide medical information to Paraguayan nurses, dentists, anesthesiologists and surgeons.

First international mission: 2005
International mission sites: Asunción

Asunción - September 14 to September 24, 2005

Operation Smile's inaugural mission in the country of Paraguay was a great success. Hundreds of families from throughout Paraguay traveled to the capital city of Asunción, hoping that their children would receive life-changing surgery. An Operation Smile international team of 52 medical and non-medical volunteers worked together to provide free medical evaluations and reconstructive surgery to children and young adults suffering with facial deformities. Volunteers from Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Panama, the United States and Venezuela worked with Paraguayan medical and non-medical volunteers to provide free medical evaluations to 329 children and young adults. Operation Smile Field Medical Director Doug Ririe, from North Carolina, led the medical team, who worked tirelessly at Hospital San Jorge de Ejercito, a military hospital in Asunción. Luis Bermudez from Colombia led the team of plastic surgeons, Doug Ririe led the anesthesia team, Natalie Cvijanovich of California was the team's Pediatric Intensivist and the mission's Clinical Coordinator was Cindi Raglin from Virginia. Operation Smile CEO and Co-founder Dr. Bill Magee also participated on this inaugural mission. The team of plastic surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, a pediatrician, dentist, speech pathologist and other medical professionals provided surgery for 142 patients who suffered from cleft lips and cleft palates. These children and young adults now have new hope, new smiles and the chance at a normal life.

On September 17, in Asunción, Operation Smile conducted an education conference to provide medical information to Paraguayan nurses, dentists, anesthesiologists and surgeons. More than 100 nurses, dentists, anesthesiologists and plastic surgeons attended this conference, which brought people from around the world together to share their knowledge and experiences. On September 20, Vice President of Paraguay Luis Castiglioni, visited the Operation Smile mission and expressed his thanks to the team for helping so many suffering children. In addition, Maria Gloria Penayo de Duarte Frutos, First Lady of Paraguay, came to the hospital on September 21, and spent time speaking with the team members, families and children. The same day, John Keane, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Paraguay, also visited the mission to witness the work of Operation Smile.

The success of this mission was due in large part to the groundwork laid by Alejandro Conti, President of the Operation Smile Paraguay Board of Directors; Dr. Carlos Bacchetta, Medical Director of Operation Smile Paraguay; and Karen Coronel, Executive Director of Operation Smile Paraguay. Beth Marshall, Operation Smile Senior Advisor and Founder for Latin America, worked with Conti, Bacchetta and Coronel to launch Operation Smile Paraguay. In addition, volunteers from medical schools, local businesses and high schools offered tremendous support during the mission.

First international mission: 2005
International mission sites: Asunción

Missions