Volunteer otolaryngology practice in rural Mexico

Medical missions, particularly with religious or military affiliation, are becoming more commonly performed in the Third World. Modern surgical techniques for correcting congenital anomalies frequently require staged operative procedures with long-term follow-up. However, in remote or isolated Third World villages, operative procedures must often be done at a single setting, without staging, utilizing limited intraoperative equipment. Very short postoperative hospitalizations may be all that are available and follow-ups are severely limited. We report our experience on a two-week mission to Mexico where 46 major otolaryngologic surgeries were performed. Follow-up was limited, in most patients, to visits within only a few days of the surgical procedure. Techniques for Third World otolaryngologic surgical experience are discussed including the correction of cleft deformities.