Ukrainian surgeons learning at Yale New Haven Hospital; bringing knowledge back to Ukraine

A successful program at Yale New Haven hospital is spreading knowledge from the medical center to the front lines of Ukraine. Surgeons from the war-torn country are here observing Yale medical staff over weeks, part of a program dedicated to supporting healthcare in Ukraine.

“When the war start, when Kyiv region was invaded, we had hard question, like for primary surgery, it’s like when patient care right now was for gunshot, blast injury,” said Surgeon Oleksandr Vasyliev.

He is a world away from home, on a mission for civilians and soldiers in Ukraine. He showed us video of him working under hard conditions recently, his hospital without power as he performed surgery by flashlight.

“Right now, we have secondary constructions patients,” said Vasyliev.

 He said back when Russia invaded, surgeons were occupied by gunshot or blast wounds. Now, the focus has shifted to a lot of reconstructive surgeries, often on faces. A role he described as hard, but vital for those serving the country.

“It’s really hard …for psychological for these patients because it's face. All the time patients when they wake up, look into the mirror and understand not all is okay,” he said.

Vasyliev is one of seven surgeons from all over Ukraine, observing and learning at Yale New Haven Hospital through the Doctors United for Ukraine program. The program is in its second year.

Vasyliev is on observer-ship, asking questions, shadowing, and learning from top doctors at Yale.

“Even sort of just observing surgery and speaking to YNHH surgeons is a fruitful experience,” said Dr. Alla Vash-Margita with Yale New Haven Hospital.

These Ukrainian doctors can’t see or treat patients while they are here, but they are deeply embedded with doctors who can, in surgery and patient care. Those running the program say the experience they take home will be invaluable overseas.

“Helping uphold the healthcare infrastructure in Ukraine as well as the healthcare providers in Ukraine,” said Dr. Andrey Zinchuk.

Zinchuk, another Yale New Haven doctor says these are the sort of educational opportunities that are a forgotten casualty when war breaks out because so many lend their hands for emergency care for civilians and soldiers.

Another doctor making the trip for this opportunity, Dr. Ksenia Denysova, whose hospital in Dnipro sits close to the front lines of the war with Russia.

“We get lots of wounded civilians, wounded soldiers,” she said.

 She says being here has left her hopeful when the war is over, Ukraine’s healthcare system will be able to gather the same supplies, and technology she’s seen deployed right here in New Haven.

“It’s a lifelong experience for us,” she said describing what the last few weeks have meant for her.

But on a deeper level, she hopes to bring back knowledge she can share and apply immediately when she returns home to Dnipro.

“We should bring the way of thinking and learning and teaching people to be surgeons,” said Denysova.