The Disque Foundation’s Mission Trip to the Dominican Republic- Repairing Hernias and Training Medical Students in Basic Life Support

MORE THAN 500,000 PEOPLE in the United States undergo hernia repair every year, according to Hartford Healthcare Medical Group. Depending on the type and severity of a hernia, symptoms range and different treatment options are available. While hernias are typically simply medically treated in Western medicine, underserved areas of the world have a lack in proper training and technology to adequately treat hernias.

Within the United States, doctors and care providers return the hernia tissue to its normal state and then continue to monitor the repair post operation for change and progress. For countries without the supportive devices, medical technology, and proper anesthesia that Western medicine has to, hernia repair is not as easy and can be dangerous.

National Health Care Provider Solutions, works closely with the Disque Foundation to fund mission trips by executive director Dr. Karl Fritz” Disque. Dr. Disque is a practicing anesthesiologist and has recently traveled to Salcedo, Dominican Republic along with his sister, Anna Disque, in accordance with the Save A Life Initiative, to bridge the healthcare gap within the city and perform hernia repairs.

Dr. Disque and the team at the foundation worked in The Salcedo Government Public Hospital located about an hour from the capital of Santiago. The hospital is clean, but lacks modern compared to hospitals within the United States. Five surgeons, two anesthesiologists, and nurses work on staff in the regional medical center, where they worked alongside Dr. Disque during his recent trip.

The mission worked with a local Salcedo non-profit community group, The Leon Foundation. Dr. Disque effectively performed 50 hernia repairs, 3 C-sections, a gunshot wound and a machete wound.

Anna Disque worked in the recovery room and helped Dr. Disque during post-operation. Because the hospital’s post-operation and recovery room is located on the other side of the hospital, and there isn’t the technology needed to properly transport the patients after surgery, Dr. Disque assisted each patient by lifting the individual into a wheelchair and journeyed along with each to the post-op room.

Throughout the weeklong Salcedo mission trip, NHCPS certified over 1,500 people in basic life support (BLS), pediatric advanced life support (PALS), advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), and CPR, AED and First Aid. During his trip, he also trained over 50 local medical students BLS for free. These efforts remain representative of the ambitions of the Disque Foundation continuing to spread healthcare education and information around the world through the Save A Life Initiative.

NHCPS is honored to fund the Disque Foundation as they inspire others to live inspired lives through their various mission trips and the Save A Life Initiative.