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Adult Cardiac Surgery & Congenital Mission in Tanzania

ADULT CARDIAC SURGERY & CONGENITAL MISSION in DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA AFRICA March 9-16, 2024 We take pleasure in announcing the fifth mission to JKCI (The Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute), Dar es Salaam.   The Republic of Tanzania was formed as a sovereign state in 1964 through the union of the separate states of Tanganyika and Zanzibar.  Mainland Tanganyika covers more than 99 percent of the combined territories’ total area. It is bound by 7 countries through its borders and is South of the Equator.  Dodoma, since 1974 the designated [...]

By |2023-12-22T21:30:08-05:00December 22nd, 2023|Tanzania, Uncategorized, Upcoming Missions|0 Comments

Dominican Republic May 2017 Mission Report

ADULT SURGICAL MISSION SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC MAY 6-13, 2017 CardioStart completed its 4th annual Adult Cardiac Surgical Mission to Santo Domingo with great success.  All patients did well and were discharged within a couple days of surgery. Rheumatic Fever, caused by untreated strep throat caused many to have damaged valves at an early point in their lives leaving them debilitated.  Others suffered from congenital defects that would have been repaired as infants or children but because of poverty have become adults with the defect impacting [...]

By |2017-10-06T00:11:15-04:00October 5th, 2017|Dominican Republic, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Volunteer Profile: Called To Serve

Why is the more difficult path often the most rewarding? It is this path, made up of medical challenges, culture and language barriers and incomprehensible lack of current health and technology standards found in westernized countries that we find CardioStart volunteers walking. What makes a CardioStart volunteer? There may not be a stereotype of a CardioStart volunteer. But one thing is certain: they are called to serve. Sher Stiles, a critical care nurse living in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, has participated in two CardioStart missions—to Vietnam and Uganda—and will serve as Mission and Education Coordinator [...]

Vietnam’s 1st Human Valve Replacement

Last November we had a patient named Vu. Vu received a human valve transplant from a deceased American. This procedure was the first human valve transplant done in Vietnam. During the time Vu’s stay, I had the opportunity to chat with his father. We discovered that his father and I were not only both stationed in Da Nang during the Vietnam war, but also stationed on opposite sides at the Hai Van Pass. My unit’s responsibility was to destroy any troops and supplies coming through from the north. His job [...]

By |2017-02-01T22:15:08-05:00September 4th, 2012|Uncategorized, Vietnam Mission|0 Comments