Sanjay Gupta Assists Vinson Medical Team in Haiti
Cmdr. Jerry Berman, left, a Navy surgeon, Dr. Henri R. Ford, Los Angles Pediatric Hospital Surgeon-in-Chief originally from Haiti, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a CNN medical correspondent and practicing neurosurgeon, and Lt. Cmdr. Kathryn Berndt, a Navy surgeon, prepare a 12-year-old Haitian girl with a severe head injury for surgery aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael C. Barton)
Noted neurosurgeon and CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Los Angeles Pediatric Hospital’s Surgeon-in-Chief Dr. Henri Ford assisted USS Carl Vinson’s (CVN 70) medical team in emergency surgery to remove concrete debris from a 12-year old Haitian girl’s skull Jan. 18.Ship’s Surgeon, Lt. Cmdr (Dr.) Kathryn Berndt diagnosed the girl as having a 1.2 cm piece of concrete embedded in her skull which was removed the night she arrived. During the post-operation debrief, Berndt requested a neurosurgical consult. One well-known neurosurgeon in the region came to mind.
“Our senior medical officer, Doctor (Alfred) Shwayhat, told me about the situation and asked if I could track down Dr. Gupta,” said Carl Vinson’s Deputy Public Affairs Officer, Lt. j.g. Erik Schneider. “With the help of a CNN producer, we called CNN in Atlanta who then patched us through to Doctor Gupta in Port-au-Prince.”
“Someone got a hold of our international desk which is our world headquarters which we’re in touch with every hour,” said Gupta. “They said there was an urgent call from the Carl Vinson. So I put a call in to them and there was something about a head injury. I initially spoke to Doctor Berndt and she explained the situation.”
“It was literally, ‘Paging Dr. Gupta off the coast of Haiti from the USS Carl Vinson,’” said Shwayhat.
Following further consultation, a second surgery was deemed necessary. After the medical team irrigated the injury and provided the initial care, Berndt’s team, assisted by Gupta and Ford, scrubbed in.“There was a one-and-a-half centimeter by two centimeter piece of debris that was broken into smaller pieces,” Ford said. “There was one piece to which we weren’t able to access initially. She was neurologically intact and there wasn’t any penetration of the brain.”
Gupta and Ford anticipate the girl making a full recovery, “though she will need some antibiotics,” Ford said.
“This has been the most remarkable occasion,” said Ford, who is originally from Haiti. “It has been the most moving experience being a part of those so motivated in the face of this tragedy. As a pediatric surgeon, it is a great honor to experience the dedication of the American government and the quality of care the ship’s medical team provided. The display of humanity and support is truly without parallel.”
“I was honored to help out,” said Gupta. “I have a profound respect for the capabilities of the U.S. Navy and the medical team on board the Carl Vinson.”
Carl Vinson and Carrier Air Wing 17 are conducting humanitarian and disaster relief operations as part of Operation Unified Relief after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake cause severe damage near Port-au-Prince on Jan. 12, 2010.
US Navy
By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jason Thompson,
USS Carl Vinson Public Affairs
Table of contents for Haiti quake 2010
- Massive earthquake strikes Haiti
- Earthquake in Haiti – aftershocks continue
- Haiti earthquake aid
- Haiti quake damages pile up
- Horror in Haiti – the morning after the quake
- U.S. quickly responds to Haiti quake
- Infrastructure hurdles to Haiti quake relief
- U.S. Coast Guard on location in Haiti right now
- Strong aftershocks continue in Haiti
- PR Guard standing by – Gitmo damaged by Haiti quake
- Paras and Marines on alert for Haiti move
- Earthquake in Haiti update for January 13 evening
- Earthquake in Haiti – January 14 morning update
- Marines ready to assist Haiti after earthquake
- Earthquake in Haiti – Update for January 14 evening
- FEMA report on Haiti relief efforts for January 15
- Out of the night sky – Air Force secures Port-au-Prince airport
- Earthquake in Haiti – January 15 evening
- Haiti Quake Relief Funding Numbers
- But people are dying – thoughts on the Haitian disaster
- Aftershocks continue to rock Haiti
- Earthquake in Haiti – Update for January 16
- Haiti Quake Relief Funding Numbers for Jan 16
- Hospital ship Comfort sails for Haiti
- Baby delivered during Haiti evacuation
- Navy is delivering supplies to Haiti victims
- Hospital ship Comfort racing to Haiti
- Country club serves as forward base for Paras in Haiti
- Situation at Port-au-Prince airport improving
- Sanjay Gupta Assists Vinson Medical Team in Haiti
- USAID Update on the Haiti relief operation January 18
- Air drop to aid Haitian victims of earthquake
- Haiti Quake Relief Funding Numbers for Jan 18
- Earthquake in Haiti – morning update January 19
- Los Angeles rescuers save Haitian woman
- Stories from Haiti – update for Jan 20 morning
- American volunteers in Haiti
- American donations for Haiti earthquake relief – Jan 21
- Haiti earthquake relief update for Jan 21
- Haitians receiving care and support aboard Bataan
- Hospital ship Comfort healing, hugging Haitians
- Brief update on Navy and Marine relief efforts in Haiti Jan 23
- Fort Hood veterinary services unit sent to Haiti
- Harbor damage in Port-au-Prince
- American giving for Haiti relief as of January 25
- Comparison of Haiti donations to Katrina and the tsunami
- Haitian Coast Guard base becomes hub for quake relief
- Comparison of Haiti donations to Katrina and the tsunami Jan 28
- High tech warbird aids Haiti relief efforts
- High-speed ferrys en route to Haiti
- Southern Command briefs on Haiti situation
- Paras opening roads in Haiti
- Aid from Dominican Republic via Kentucky National Guard
- Haitian assistance stories for February 3
- Haitian relief efforts slow
- Marine calls Leogane Haiti home
- Haiti earthquake relief update for February 7
- Army medics at work in Haiti relief effort
- Haiti earthquake relief funding update for February 14
- Keeping Haitians informed
- A tent means a lot to Haitian orphans
- Italian troops aid paras in Haiti rubble clearance
- Landslide in Haiti tests Special Ops rescuers
- Navy and Marines bridge Haitian divide from government
- Haitian earthquake relief – update for February 28
- Haitian earthquake update – March 4
- Air Guard Engineers Help Haitians
- Things are baaaaad in Haiti
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This entry was posted on Monday, January 18th, 2010 at 5:47 pm and is filed under Disasters, Medicine, Military. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
