Urology volunteers complete trip to Mongolia

International Volunteers in Urology (IVU) carried out its second trip to care for children in Mongolia in June. The team of nine health care professionals provided surgical care, clinical care, and training at the Maternal and Child Medical Center in Ulaanbaatar, which serves as the medical training center for the entire country.

The team consulted on more than 40 cases, 32 of which resulted in surgery on patients ranging in age from 11 months to 33 years, said Catherine deVries, MD, IVU's founder and board president. Most of the procedures involved correcting birth defects of the genitalia and removing tumors. The group also trained two senior surgeons, four anesthesiologists, and a dozen nurses.

"This approach is central to our goal of 'teaching the teachers,' " Dr. deVries said. "We were able to build on the base of local support we established in our 2002 trip to the same facility."