Hello again…now off to the Operating Room (OR) where the magical transformation happens!! Our talented and extremely passionate team of doctors and nurses, as well as our fantastic sterilizer, work hard to make the experience the best one for all involved, especially the patient.

Before anything can begin in the OR, our sterilizer, Ellie Andrews, carefully prepares all of the instruments necessary to perform the surgery. Ellie is a Rotarian from District 7780 in Maine and she works as a wedding officiant!! This is Ellie’s third mission!

Thank you Ellie!! You are AWESOME and an essential part of the OR team!!

DSC_4032

DSC_3856

Next patients are brought into the OR and the magic begins! Let’s visit a few OR rooms and see!!

Dr. Ron’s Operating Room 

Say hello to Nurse Lisa Barry! This is Nurse Lisa’s first Rotaplast trip. Back home in Northern California, Nurse Lisa is an OR Manager at the Pacific Surgery Center. Here she is with Yessica!

Yessica is about to have surgery on her cleft palate. She agreed to let us take some pictures in the OR to show how brave she is!! You are AMAZING Yessica and Nurse Lisa!

DSC_3749

Yessica wanted a group picture before starting surgery as well as having a picture of her palate. Yessica hopes that by sharing her experience with other people with cleft palates they in turn will be less scared to have the surgery themselves! 🙂

DSC_3756

As the surgery begins, Yessica holds Nurse Lisa’s hand for comfort.

DSC_3767

Meet Dr. Ron Gemberling! This is his 21st Rotaplast trip!!! WOW!!

Dr. Ron is a plastic surgeon who runs a private practice in Northern California as well as being part of the Clinical Faculty as an Assistant Professor at Stanford University. Dr. Ron is a Rotarian from Distict 5170.

DSC_3374

Here is Dr. Ron performing surgery and educating local fourth year medical students on cleft palate surgical procedures at the same time. Rotaplast takes pride in making it a priority to educate local doctors to perform these complicated surgeries so that they too can perform them in their own country.  Great job Dr. Ron!

DSC_3811

Next we are off to Dr. Gagan’s operating room!

Say hi to Ezequiel and his puppy Chu-Chu! Ezequiel was amazingly brave and attributed his bravery to his dog Chu-Chu and to how nice the team was with him!!

DSC_3685

Chu-Chu!!

DSC_3703

Dr. Amir, Dr. Gagan and fourth year medical students observing the surgery.

DSC_4087

Now lets go visit Dr. Milton’s operating room!

Say hello to Dr. Milton and Doris, who assists with all of the sterile instruments, and Dr. Cruz who was visiting from another local hospital.

DSC_3823

Nurse Lois, Dr. Iskra, and Dr. Julie preparing David for surgery and a dental extraction.

DSC_3825

Dr. Milton

DSC_4096

Dr. Tim administering and monitoring the anesthesia.

DSC_3830

After surgery, Dr. Gagan, Dr. Amir, Nurse Ted and Dr. Tim check the schedule with Nurse Debbie.

DSC_3676