At CTVS, we are extremely proud of the work our physicians do here in our Central Texas clinics, but we are just as proud of all the care they provide outside our walls.
Many of our team members frequently participate in medical missions trips all over the world.
Board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Jeff McNeil recently returned from his fourth trip to Nigeria with the VOOM Foundation. In Nigeria, it is estimated that more than 95% of the people there live without essential medical services.
While in Nigeria, Dr. McNeil and his fellow specialists treated a pair of remarkable and hard-working siblings who both had the same heart condition, an atrial septal defect (ASD), which is a birth defect characterized by a hole in the septum/wall that divides the upper chambers of the heart. They were able to surgically repair the holes in each of their hearts and both brothers are expected to make full recoveries.
Dr. McNeil and the team performed additional life-saving cardiac procedures on another eight patients at the newly opened Dame Irene Okwuosa Memorial Hospital at no cost to these families due to the generous support of the VOOM Foundation.
“Overall the trip was full of challenges, and long hours, but also rewarding patient care,” says Dr. McNeil. “These trips not only positively impacted the lives of the patients, but they enriched us beyond measure, too, as the team providing their care.”
Dr. McNeil was accompanied on this journey by six Austin-area team members including one of our CTVS scrub techs, Angel Greene.
The VOOM Foundation is the brainchild of Dr. Vincent Ohaju, Chief of Surgery & Medical Director for Trauma Services at CHI St. Joseph Health in Bryan, Texas. He is originally from the town of Ihitte, Nigeria where he personally witnessed the effects of inadequate medical care available to his family and friends.
Thank you, Dr. McNeil, and to all those who support patients in need.
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