30 Surgeries in 4 Days: Ivano-Frankivsk Welcomes Canadian and American Surgeons’ ‘Face the Future’ Mission

Published: October 27, 2023

For the second time, Ukraine played host to the ‘Face the Future Ukraine’ mission, a collaborative effort involving Canadian and American reconstructive surgeons. This initiative brought global experts together with their Ukrainian colleagues to perform over 30 life-changing plastic surgeries on individuals who bore the scars of war. Among the patients were military personnel from various regions of Ukraine, all sharing a common experience of severe blast injuries to the face and neck.

Meet Andrii Smolenskyi, a 27-year-old who, after volunteering for the front lines at the onset of the war, eventually became the commander of a separate aerial reconnaissance unit. In late May 2023, during one of the missions, he suffered a grievous injury. Andrii lost both arms, his eyes, and partially his hearing.

Andrii has undergone nearly two dozen surgeries, and thanks to the heroic efforts of Ukrainian doctors, his life was miraculously saved. However, a significant scar painfully contracted his face. Surgeons from the ‘Face the Future’ mission took on the task of relieving his pain and enhancing the aesthetics of his face. In a complex, 6-hour surgery, they removed deformed tissue, placed a titanium implant under the eye, transplanted fat tissue and skin from his neck, and prepared his eye for cosmetic implants.

Dr. Peter Adamson, Founder and President of the Face the Future Foundation, described this as an exceptionally challenging case due to the patient’s multiple combined injuries, with most of the facial bones and muscles missing after the injury. He noted that this mission in Ukraine presented the most severe combined cases in their experience and expressed their commitment to returning every six months to assist Ukrainian defenders and train local colleagues.

To perform these unique surgeries, a team of 15 international specialists, including reconstructive surgeons, oculoplastic surgeons, plastic surgeons, otolaryngologists, surgical oncologists, anesthesiologists, and nurses, arrived in Ukraine. They worked alongside and shared their expertise with Ukrainian specialists from Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, and Zaporizhzhia.

The preparation for this mission spanned five months, involving extensive online consultations for patient selection and surgical planning. For many patients, free individual implants were designed and 3D-printed by bioengineers from Materialize to restore the integrity of bones that were fragmented due to injury, said Nataliia Komashko, MD, Head of Ukrainian Association of Endoscopic Head and Neck Surgeries, who led the clinical program from Ukrainian side.

This successful partnership between ‘Face the Future Foundation,’ ‘Razom for Ukraine,’ and ‘Still Strong’ has evolved into a long-term program, demonstrating remarkable results in training and supporting Ukrainian doctors in their professional development. It signifies an extraordinary achievement and outcome that will help Ukrainian doctors contribute to global medicine.

During the two ‘Face the Future Ukraine’ missions, the team of experts successfully restored physical health and aesthetic beauty for over 70 Ukrainians. Importantly, all reconstructive surgeries were provided free of charge to the patients.

These missions also hosted international symposia for surgeons and nurses, allowing specialists from Canada, the U.S., and Ukraine to share their experiences in performing complex reconstructive interventions and the nuances of managing patients with combat injuries. More than 200 surgeons and nearly 300 nurses participated in the symposia.

The Razom Co-Pilot Project has been facilitating the organization of highly qualified doctors’ visits to Ukraine since 2016. With the outbreak of war, medical organizations and teams from the U.S. and Canada approached Razom for support in helping Ukraine. Currently, the Razom Co-Pilot Project provides organizational and financial support to the largest teams in the U.S. and Canada, including ‘Face the Future,’ ‘Face to Face,’ ‘Global Leap Missions,’ and ‘Co-Pilot Neuro.’ Over 100 North American doctors have worked in Ukraine, performing 300 complex surgeries this year alone.

“We understand that it is impossible to help all patients during the short stay of the international team. Therefore, one of the leading goals of Co-Pilot is to train Ukrainian doctors and help them become leaders in their field and save thousands. Each international team conducts educational events: conferences, lectures and consults Ukrainian doctors online. Razom supports the observership for Ukrainian doctors in the U.S.. Only this year, 10 UA doctors had such an opportunity”, said Yuliia Shama, U.S. Co-Pilot Project Lead.

We are immensely grateful to the team of Face the Future Ukraine:

Surgeons Team Peter A. Adamson, Nataliya Biskup, Matthew Brace, Raymond Cho, Jonathan Trites, Priya Kesarwani, Paul Slavchenko

OR Team Jackie Abbott, Bibi Yasin, Janae Weber, Emma Piehl, Khristie Morrell, Luci Heiman, Hanna Robinson

Gail Kapsambelis (videographer)

Advisors Mark Levin, Anthony Brissett, Burke Bradley, Debbie Fritz, Maureen Merchant

The ‘Face the Future Ukraine’ humanitarian program is a joint effort involving organizations such as Face The Future Foundation (Canada), Razom for Ukraine (USA), Still Strong (UA).

We are immensely grateful to all partners and donors:

CF Patients of Ukraine, and the project “Rehabilitation of War Injuries.” organized academic days. The mission received support from Direct Relief, Materialize, STORZ Karl-Storz Ukraine, the Ukrainian Association of Endoscopic Head and Neck Surgery, the Regional Clinical Hospital of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Council, Metinvest, Yellow Blue Force Foundation, the Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine, Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Military Administration, Transmed, CF «Чисті Серця», and Razom.

Photographer: Andrii Sidletskyi

Learn more about and support the Co-Pilot Project and Razom Health.

Razom Health’s Co-Pilot Project Empowers Thousands of Ukrainian Doctors

Published: October 18, 2023

In the latest chapter of Co-Pilot NEURO’s longtime work, Ukrainian and American specialists continue to evolve the neurosurgery sector in Ukraine.

Since 2016, Razom’s Co-Pilot project has been transforming the field of neurosurgery in Ukraine. The initiative employs a tried and true “train the trainer” model, providing experiential education to top-tier professionals and sharing global medical expertise to be shared further with Ukrainian colleagues and students.

Within this vast portfolio of education and training, two endovascular neurosurgeons from New York University (NYU) Langone Health and Bellevue HHC, Dr. Maksim Shapiro and Dr. Peter Kim Nelson, ventured to Ukraine recently, aiming to provide cutting-edge surgical care.

During their intensives across three key neurosurgery centers, a total of 21 surgeries were performed. Many of these procedures were broadcast in real-time, facilitating knowledge sharing among Ukrainian neurosurgeons.

The educational component was also a pivotal aspect of their trip. An international endovascular online conference, BANANAZ, featured lectures by experts like by Dr. Yuriy Cherednichenko, MD, PHD on the management of traumatic war injuries. Over 80 neurosurgeons benefited from these educational activities, including those attending the Annual Ukrainian Neurosurgical Association conference.

In addition to their expertise, Dr. Shapiro and Dr. Nelson also brought invaluable medical equipment and supplies worth over $1.2 million.

Looking ahead, they plan to create an observership at NYU for Ukrainian endovascular neurosurgeons. The next mission, set for Spring 2024, will focus on Dnipro, Lviv, and Kyiv, with a strong emphasis on live surgeries and educational outreach.

The work of the Co-Pilot NEURO program showcases not only the progress in neurosurgery but also the unwavering commitment of the American and Ukrainian medical communities to support the development of Ukraine’s healthcare system.

The partnership is a beacon of hope for the future of neurosurgery in Ukraine. Thank you to all participants for their unwavering support in making this mission a success!

Razom Co-Pilot Project’s medical missions/medical training in Ukraine) was started with the idea to bring the best neurosurgery practices to Ukraine and form a new generation of neurosurgery leaders among Ukrainian doctors. This program has since successfully expanded to more specialties:

“Face to Face Ukraine” programs together with the American Academy of Facial Plastic Reconstructive Surgeons and INgenious providing reconstructive facial surgery with orthopedic and speech therapy components.
“Face the Future Ukraine” program with Face the Future Foundation (Canada) and Still Strong (Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Hospital) performing reconstructive facial surgeries, academic days for surgeons and nurses.
“Leap Global Mission Ukraine” focusing mostly on facial reconstructive surgeries for children.
The Co-Pilot NEURO Program withs four subspecialties: endovascular neurosurgery, epilepsy surgical treatments, spinal neurosurgery, and open neurosurgery.
The Co-Pilot Ortho Program (Kyiv, Dnipro hospitals).

Results of the program’s work from 2016 to 2023:

Over 100 doctors and medical personnel visited Ukraine.
More than 245 complex surgeries were performed.
Over 1500 patients were consulted.
Over 120 Ukrainian surgeons participated in the missions and improved their qualifications.
Over 2000 Ukrainian surgeons watched live streams of surgeries.
More than 10 doctors underwent internships at U.S. universities.
Nearly 20 Ukrainian hospitals were involved in the program.

Razom & LEAP Global Missions & CMA UA – training trip to Lviv in March 2023.

Published: July 5, 2023

Razom for Ukraine welcomed back a team of doctors from LEAP Global Missions who completed their 7-day medical visit to Lviv in March 2023. The team consulted more than 200 children and performed 35 highly-skilled surgeries at following hospitals: Ohkhmadyt Lviv Regional Children’s Hospital, First Emergency Adult Hospital, St. Nicholas Children’s Hospital, and a Military Hospital.

The team was organized by Dr. Steve Orten (tag), a plastic surgeon from Texas who visited Ukrainian hospitals independently in 2022 and shared his experience with US colleagues from LEAP Global Missions (tag), motivating them to visit Ukraine. The team’s preparation lasted two months, including regular Zoom meetings with Ukrainian doctors, patient selection, and revision of medical supplies.

Photo: Dr. Steve Orten, Plastic Surgeon from Texas USA and Ukrainian surgeon Dr. Christina Pohranychna look at CT scans of a patient in Lviv Regional Children’s Hospital as the father looks on.

The Co-Pilot Project: an initiative within Razom for Ukraine which coordinates and supports medical missions, supports this team of surgeons by covering housing, food, medical supplies, transportation, and providing scrubs to the doctors. Drs. Steve Orten (tag) and Craig Hobar (tag) led a team of 11 doctors who specialized in head and neck reconstruction, craniofacial surgeries and orthodontics, neurosurgery, urology and dermatology. Local logistics were organized by CMA UA (tag ) to make doctors feel at home in the Ukrainian city of Lviv.

LEAP surgeons collaborated with Ukrainian surgeons in treating complicated craniofacial cases. “Our team worked with incredibly capable, professional, respectable Ukrainian surgeons. LEAP’s mission was to expose them to new surgical techniques, and LEAP was excited to assist with this cooperative relationship,” commented LEAP Media Director Jon Cermin, who documented the trip.

The medical team provided treatment for babies and children with birth defects, tumors of both children and adults in the head and neck area, traumas and scar revisions caused by shelling, from burns and other traumatic events. Two of the surgeries performed during the trip were complex maxillary midface advancement surgeries with computer planning, led by Dr. Craig Hobar, the Founder and Medical Director of LEAP Global Missions. The surgeries are expected to have a significant impact on the two young men’s quality of life, including how they function, eat, and even smile. Having exposure to this surgical procedure will change how these cases can be managed in the future in Ukraine.

The team included Ukrainian-American doctors, Dr. Victor Cherkasij (tag), Skin Cancer and Cosmetic Dermatology PC. Dr. Cherkasij not only treated difficult dermatological cases but also translated for his colleagues. He believes one week is not enough and plans to return for two or three weeks.

“Since the war started, I’ve been watching the war trying to understand and I was seeing the horrors of the war and I always felt I wanted to help Ukraine. I’m very happy I have something to offer, and we hope we will do it again.” – said James Suen(tag), MD, from University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

Photo: Dr. James Suen, Facial Plastic Surgery Otolaryngologist, Little Rock, Arkansas, Victor Cherkasij, PA, Dermatology from Cleveland, Tennessee and Dr. Christina Pohranychna, Okhmadyt Lviv Regional Children’s Hospital, Ukraine

The educational and training component of medical visits is the most important part that helps to establish a sustainable professional health care system in Ukraine.

Dr. Cheryl Anderson-Cermin (tag), craniofacial orthodontist, gave lectures to dental students, as well as the orthodontic residents from the Orthodontic Department of the Dental School in Lviv in regards to management of the infant, adolescent and adult individual with cleft lip and palate

Photo: Dr. Cheryl Anderson-Cermin, DDS, Craniofacial Orthodontics giving lecture to Ukrainian students in the the Orthodontic Department of the Dental School in Lviv

Dr. Anderson-Cermin outlined that the goals in this partnership are to bring additional expertise in these areas as the orthodontist on the team walks the child and the family through the process of the initial diagnosis, to the end of the growing years. The importance of psychological support for these families is also stressed, and the orthodontist has a significant role to play in this regard. Supplies were presented to the Orthodontic department to allow them to properly evaluate and treat future individuals.

It is worth mentioning that the urgent need for such complex surgeries in Ukraine is more significant than ever before. Thus, medical trips like this one are crucial for the treatment of patients who are in need. As these trips not only provide medical treatment, but more importantly, allow transfer of knowledge and skills to Ukrainian medical professionals.

Thank you to LEAP Global Missions US TEAM for their support of Ukraine:

Craig Hobar, MD, Craniofacial/Plastics
Steve Orten, MD, Facial Plastic Surgeon
Setty Pradeep, MD, Neurosurgery/Spine
Suen James, MD, Facial Plastic Surgery/H&N
Mark Hnatiuk, MD, Craniofacial/Plastics
Roman Bukachevsky, MD, ENT/Facial Plastics
Cheryl Cermin, DDS, Craniofacial Orthodontics
Victor Cherkasij, PA, Dermatology
Clanton Harrison, MD, Pediatric Urology
Jon Cermin, Photo/Video
Tatyana Bessmertnaya, Photo/Video/Translation

From Left: Rudy Myhovych, Christian Medical Assoc. Of Ukraine, Dr. Mark Hnatiuk, Dr. Pradeep Setty, Dr. Roman Bukachevsky, Dr. James Suen, Dr. Steve Orten, Dr. Clanton Harrison.

Leap Global Missions group:
In-front: Tatyana Bessmertnaya and Dr. Craig Hobar
In the back from left to right: Dr. Cheryl Anderson-Cermin, Dr. James Suen, Dr. Mark Hnatiuk, Dr. Steve Orten, Dr. Victor Czerkasij, Dr. Roman Bukachevsky, Dr. Pradeep Setty. Not pictured, Dr. Clanton Harrison

Cover photo: Photo: Dr. Craig Hobar assists Ukrainian surgeons Christina Pohranychna and Dr. Roman Ogonovsky, Ohkhmadyt Lviv Regional Children’s Hospital

Learn more about Co-Pilot project and missions.

By Yulia Shama

Razom x Face to Face Medical Mission

Published: November 5, 2022

During September 16-24th, Razom facilitated a medical mission for the group of 11 American doctors and nurses from AAFPRS (American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery) to deliver advanced reconstructive surgeries and corrective plastic procedures to patients who suffered as a result of russia’s war on Ukraine. In the spirit of collaboration and learning, American and Ukrainian colleagues worked side by side at the medical facility of Ivano Frankivsk Oblast Hospital.

On May 22, 2022, we received an email that read:

“My name is Dr. Manoj Abraham and I am a Facial Plastic Surgeon based in New York. I am the Chair of the Face To Face Committee, the humanitarian arm of the American Academy of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery and I am a Governor for the American College of Surgeons. We are looking to partner with anyone sending medical teams to safe areas in Ukraine or surrounding areas to help treat those with facial injuries from the war – we have experience doing this previously in Croatia. We will need to connect with hospitals and doctors in the local area to help coordinate, and I am hoping you can put me in touch with anyone who can help with making these arrangements. My contact information is listed below. I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks, Manoj”

This email started a massive collaboration that resulted in the Razom x Face to Face Medical Mission, giving 31 Ukrainians, military and civilians alike, extremely complex reconstructive surgeries and a chance to have a normal life.

Our team immediately saw the incredible potential and the major challenge of implementing such a mission, especially in the ongoing war. At first, it seemed almost impossible to find and connect all the dots to make it happen. Even the American College of Surgeons sadly informed Dr. Manoj T. Abraham:

“Many of you have reached out to us, asking how you can contribute to the care of victims in war-torn Ukraine.

At this time, no current role or mechanism exists for safe travel to help in person.”

But Razom’s team decided to embrace the challenge. We mobilized all connections and resources available to us to ensure that such an altruistic and invaluable for Ukrainian people intention becomes a reality.

Razom for Ukraine has been bringing doctors from the US to Ukraine since 2016 to work with surgeons on the ground and perform neurosurgery as a part of The Co-Pilot Project initiated and run by Razom’s co-founder Mariya Soroka and her husband, Dr. Luke Tomycz, Neurosurgeon at The Epilepsy Institute of New Jersey. The project has been a huge success and has given us a decent network of Ukrainian and American healthcare professionals and partners.

Hundreds of hours, miles of correspondence, and countless Zoom calls went into planning this mission. First, we connected with Dr. Ivanka Nebor – ENT doctor, founder, and president of INgenius, a platform for the development of medicine and science in Ukraine. Thanks to her professional network of young physicians in Ukraine, we were able to install the first wheel to the Face to Face vehicle.

We needed a hospital with operating theaters, postoperative care units, inpatient wards, and possible intensive care units. It was vital not to disrupt the care that was already being provided to the patients. The Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Clinical Hospital and Ukrainian ENT doctor Natalia Komashko and her team courageously embraced a massive workload by taking on a lot of challenging cases in a short period of time.

American and Ukrainian — Dr. Natalia Komashko and Dr. Ivanka Nebor

Finding the Ukrainian doctors and a hospital both interested and able to facilitate the American doctors’ efforts was only the beginning. Ahead of us laid a lengthy and complex process of recruiting and screening the patients. INgenius has utilized its platform and social media outreach to spread the word.

Patients’ stories moved, shook, and horrified us. The survivors of russian aggression hailed from locations notorious for war crimes and atrocities, such as Bucha, Sumy, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Kyiv, and Izyum. Repairing facial scars could be the final stage in their arduous medical journeys, allowing them to finally get closure, feel whole again, and return to society. Understanding that recuperation and readjustment to society are greatly aided by psychological rehabilitation, Razom invited our “Razom With You” therapists from the Ivano-Frankivsk Support Center to help the patients cope and process what happened to them.

English subtitles are available for this video

There were a large number of applications, but only the 34 most complicated ones could be selected. Not only did the patients need all of the supporting medical documentation for the screening process, but they also had to be physically able to withstand long hours of complicated surgeries.

After months of planning, long hours of surgery, and heartbreaking patient stories, this mission has deeply touched every participant. The American doctors’ and nurses’ incredible selfless devotion to helping people will long be remembered and appreciated by all Ukrainians.

The goal of this mission isn’t only to perform the medical procedures but to teach the Ukrainian doctors employ these incredible technologies in their practice. Throughout the entire week, all surgeries were broadcasted and available live for all medical professionals in Ukraine to observe and learn. Razom’s focus was always to support the democracy and prosperity in Ukraine, and modern healthcare is a vital part of any society. We strive to continue developing the avenues for education and experience exchange on both sides of the Atlantic by implementing more missions and projects that aid this process.

Please, donate to help us rebuild Ukraine and ensure that Ukrainian people have access to technologies available in the modern healthcare field

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New Partnership for Veteranius to Scale Up IT-education for Veterans

Published: October 26, 2022

In the view of the fact that the number of Ukrainian veterans increases on a daily basis, we are especially pleased to share that today, on October 26th 2022, Linux Foundation and Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) announced their partnership with Razom for Ukraine on Razom’s Project Veteranius. The partnership will aim “to provide access to technology education for Ukrainian veterans, their families, and Ukrainians in need. Leveraging its expertise in IT Training programs, Linux Foundation will help Razom make three of LF’s training courses accessible to Ukrainians through translations and help solidify partnerships with other IT-focused organizations that will make courses scalable to large student populations” – as stated in the press-release.

Veteranius is a three-year-old Razom’s initiative created to assist Ukrainian veterans in getting their first IT job. Veteranius training programs combine the development of technical skills with practical projects, mentorship opportunities, and emotional and psychological support.

Ihor Dvoretskyi, Senior Developer Advocate at Cloud Native Computing Foundation, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Razom for Ukraine to enable free and open educational opportunities for Ukrainian veterans, their family members, and other people affected by the war. This program is a wonderful opportunity for current and prospective veterans of the Ukrainian Army, as well as their relatives, looking to start a career in technology.”

“Razom is very grateful for the opportunity to partner with the Linux Foundation on this initiative! These classes on the topics of Linux, Kubernetes, and Git will enable the Veteranius team to expand the scope of the existing training program and allow an opportunity to explore a more broad set of IT positions,” said Dora Chomiak, President, Razom.

Linux Foundation courses that will be translated into Ukrainian for Project Veteranius:

Introduction to Linux
Git for Distributed Software Development
Introduction to Kubernetes

If you are interested in getting involved, there are many ways you can help!

Donate monetarily;
Donate hardware and/or software for students to use during classes;
Donate your time and skills.

Reach out to veteranius@razomforukraine.org for more information about involvement.

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