Dr. Vito Quatela Completes Successful 10-Day Medical Mission Trip to Hanoi, Vietnam
Rochester, New York (PRWEB) May 06, 2015 -- Dr. Vito C. Quatela, one of upstate New York’s most respected facial plastic surgeons, recently completed a medical mission trip to Hanoi, Vietnam with the HUGS Foundation to perform surgery on those affected by microtia and other deformities of the face.
During the 10-day trip that began on April 17 and ended on April 26, Dr. Quatela and his team performed microtia surgeries on approximately 54 Vietnamese patients. Microtia is a congenital deformity where the outside of the ear is underdeveloped. This condition is also known as “small ear” and can affect one ear or both.
To repair this condition, Dr. Quatela removes cartilage through a rib incision. He then meticulously carves and pieces together the framework for a new ear. This framework is then inserted under the scalp. Once healed, additional surgeries are conducted to finalize the reconstruction. It takes about five hours to complete one surgery.
Nine surgeons, three anesthesiologists, nine nurses, and three volunteers joined Dr. Quatela for this trip. This group came together from nine different states including Michigan, Utah, California, Colorado, North Carolina, Washington, Arizona, Maryland, and New York. The team spent seven days in Hanoi and the other three days traveling there and back.
Dr. Quatela said on their first day in Hanoi, the team welcomed 25 walk-ins to their clinic in addition to the patients that were already scheduled for microtia procedures. In fact, one man the team operated on had suffered from horrible burn scars that disintegrated his ear. Dr. Quatela and his team used skin grafting to recreate the framework of his ear. This man was able to receive treatment as a result of the generosity of this team of volunteers who donated their expertise and time.
Dr. Quatela founded the HUGS Foundation in 2003, which stands for Help Us Give Smiles Foundation, Inc. The goal of this organization is to change the lives of children who are deprived of a happy life due to inadequate medical care. Each year, Dr. Quatela leads three medical mission trips to the countries of Ecuador, Vietnam, and Guatemala.
“When you do something you have a passion for, it gives you energy, you don’t have to be paid for it, and you’ll do it all day long without being asked to do it,” said Dr. Quatela. “I feel that it really embodies what medicine is all about.”
Dr. Quatela is board certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and is a recognized leader in the field of aesthetic facial surgery. He is the founder of the Quatela Center for Plastic Surgery located in Rochester, New York. To learn more about Dr. Quatela, please visit http://www.quatela.com. Learn more about the HUGS Foundation by visiting http://www.helpusgivesmiles.org.
Contact:
Ashley Leathersich
Quatela Center for Plastic Surgery
973 East Avenue
Rochester, NY 14607
585.269.3636
http://www.quatela.com
Dr. Vito C. Quatela, Quatela Center for Plastic Surgery, http://www.quatela.com, +1 (585) 244-1000, [email protected]
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