Ukrainian Doctors Receive Trauma Surgery Training at OU Health

The University of Oklahoma (OU) Health welcomed its sixth cohort of Ukrainian surgeons as part of Operation Ukraine, a humanitarian initiative that is strengthening surgical care in the war-torn country. The program — the only one in the U.S. granting international surgeons hands-on surgical privileges — now includes trauma surgery, along with head and neck surgery, orthopedics and neurosurgery.

OU Health is uniquely positioned to deliver this advanced surgical training to physicians who must immediately apply these skills in the most difficult circumstances. OU Health University of Oklahoma Medical Center is the state’s leading American College of Surgeons–verified Level I trauma center, and OU Health is Oklahoma’s only academic health system.

The monthlong program, which began August 18, provides immersive training for surgeons who treat complex traumatic injuries. The visiting physicians represent military medical centers from seven regions of Ukraine, many near active combat zones where resources are scarce and the demand for advanced trauma care continues to grow. While in Oklahoma, they stay with host families, fostering both professional and cultural exchange.

The exchange is made possible through a collaboration with Razom for Ukraine, a nonprofit that provides funding for travel, stipends and administrative coordination.

Other organizations, including Kerecis, have also facilitated the effort by donating a variety of medical products, which are taken back to Ukraine for use in treating patient wounds and traumas.

Strengthening Surgeons’ Skills for Treating Wartime Injuries

The program is led by OU Health facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Mark Mims, M.D., assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. The training combines operating room experience with surgical lab practice, equipping Ukrainian physicians with advanced techniques they can apply immediately in conflict zones. Participants are also expected to share their knowledge, multiplying the impact across Ukraine’s medical community.

“Because OU Health is both an academic medical center and Oklahoma’s leader in trauma care, we are able to offer this kind of training at the highest level, and we are committed to establishing ourselves as a premier international training center for surgeons from conflict zones,” Dr. Mims said. This program enables these dedicated medical professionals to gain invaluable surgical experience that will directly enhance their ability to perform complex procedures under challenging conditions.”

OU Health hosted a Grand Rounds session on September 3, where the Ukrainian surgeons shared their experiences and discussed how their training will improve war-related trauma care in Ukraine.

Surgeons say the program directly addresses gaps in their ability to treat blast injuries and other complex trauma.

“We’re facing a lot of challenges that I think we are not fully able to cover with our abilities and knowledge at this current point [in] time, especially everything concerned [with] microsurgery,” explained maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Yelyzaveta Borysova from the Military Medical Academy of Ukraine in Kyiv. “A lot of blast trauma causes defects in the face area. The number of those patients is increasing drastically, and this type of surgery is needed. I’m willing to learn and be able to give that to them.”

Dr. Anatolii Haistruk, chief of the neurosurgery department at the Military Medical Clinical Centre of the Central Region in Vinnytsia, said the training prepares doctors to both treat patients and help train the next generation of neurosurgeons. “We deal with different types of trauma and injuries of [the] brain, spinal cord, vertebra, nerves. In this war, we must work with other injuries of the body as well.”

Another participant, trauma surgeon Dr. Yevhenii Bezpalko from Role 1 and 2 hospitals in the Donetsk Region, emphasized the value of training with surgeons thousands of miles from the conflict.

“In Ukraine, you work only with one group of people, and you get tunnel vision. But when you travel, when you speak with different people, different countries and different minds, you see what you cannot see in your life. It’s really useful and is another point of view on the problem,” he said.

In addition to strengthening Ukraine’s medical community, Operation Ukraine also benefits U.S. healthcare by introducing trauma care strategies developed by surgeons who work under extraordinary wartime conditions.

A Continuing Collaboration

Operation Ukraine began in 2022 when Dr. Mims learned about Razom for Ukraine and Face to Face, the humanitarian arm of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (AAFPRS), during a presentation at the annual AAFPRS meeting covering medical mission trips to Ukraine.

Recognizing the need for further training, Dr. Mims partnered with Razom to launch the observership program at OU Health. By May 2023, the first Ukrainian surgeons arrived in Oklahoma, establishing a lasting partnership between OU Health and Razom that continues to expand. Since its launch, Operation Ukraine has trained 32 Ukrainian surgeons, with more groups planned in the coming years. The continual expansion of the program represents OU Health and Razom’s continued commitment to global surgical education and humanitarian outreach.

Current Cohort Participants

Head and Neck Surgery:
Dr. Yelyzaveta Borysova, Military Medical Academy of Ukraine, Kyiv
Dr. Maksym Karamushka, Prof. M.F. Rudnev City Multidisciplinary Clinical Hospital for Mother and Child, Dnipro
Dr. Oleksandra Sukhostavska, Military Medical Clinical Centre of the Southern Region, Odesa

Neurosurgery:
Dr. Anatolii Haistruk, Military Medical Clinical Centre of the Central Region, Vinnytsia

Orthopedic Surgery:
Dr. Antolii Rublenko - Irpin Military Hospital, Irpin
Dr. Anton Yakovenko - Mariupol Military Hospital, Mariupol

Trauma Surgery:
Dr. Yevhenii Bezpalko - Role 1 and 2 Hospitals, Donetsk Region
Dr. Dmytro Shmatko - Role 1 and 2 Hospitals, Zaporizhzhia

For more information or to support Operation Ukraine, please visit the OU Health website and the Razom Co-Pilot project website.