Operation International

06/21/2026

Operation Hearts has completed their mission in Guyana! The team performed 12 complex open heart surgeries in just one week, giving patients who had waited up to a decade for surgery a new chance at life. 💙

This is the team’s fourth trip to Guyana, where they partner with the Caribbean Heart Institute. All 12 patients are doing well and five have already been discharged home. These procedures are lifesaving for patients who struggled for years with severe pain, shortness of breath, dizziness and other symptoms just living their daily lives—thanks to Operation Hearts they now look forward to returning to work, playing with grandkids, and getting back to day-to-day activities symptom and worry free.

Great work Operation Hearts!

06/17/2026

Operation Hearts has made incredible progress in Guyana! The team has already completed six open heart cases since touching down in the country 48 hours ago. 💙

Through long, 19-hour days, the dedicated cardiac group of volunteers have tackled multiple valve replacements, valve repairs, and coronary artery bypass surgery for patients that have been having chest pain and shortness of breath symptoms for months or years.

Great work, Operation Hearts!

06/16/2026

Another Operation International team is off to save lives! Operation Hearts, OI’s first cardiac team, has landed in Guyana for their fourth mission in the country. 💙

The team has already successfully completed their first case, an aortic valve replacement in a young patient. They have plans for 12 more complex cardiac surgeries this week. Stay tuned to see how their life-saving work unfolds!

06/08/2026

Operation International would like to extend a huge thank you to the Doximity Foundation, who has provided airfare grants for more than 100 OI volunteers in 2025 and 2026! 💙

These travel accommodations for our hard-working volunteers are part of what make our medical missions possible, bringing life-saving and life-changing care to people in need. These grants supported seven OI missions in the past year and will support another four coming up in 2026. In all, these teams treated more than 400 patients so far. Thank you for making this work possible!

06/03/2026

ICYMI: Our blog post this month details how OI's newest cardiac team saved eight lives in Kenya on their inaugural mission trip. Click below to read the full story.

“The patients we treated were individuals who had completely reached the end of their road, suffering from advanced heart conditions without access to the specialized care required to survive,” said co-team leader Dr. Amjad Syed. “Many of them had been waiting for several years just for the opportunity to have surgery on their hearts, living in a state of fragile health and uncertainty. Because our team stepped in when time was running out, those years of agonizing waiting are finally over.”

Internal blog post - Bringing an Operating Room to Kenya: Eight Lives Saved by OI’s Newest Cardiac Team

06/01/2026

That’s a wrap! Team Heart of Texas finished their first-ever mission to Zambia, completing 71 cases for patients in need. 💙

The mission included numerous complex thyroid and head and neck cases, plus likely the first two complex sinus surgeries for an OI team. The team also offered education to local staff to ensure their impact sustains long after they leave.

Great job Team Heart of Texas!

05/30/2026

More action shots from Team Heart of Texas’ time in Zambia! 💙

The team had completed 63 cases so far, changing lives for patients of all ages. The ENT and general surgery cases have included thyroidectomies, lipoma removals, hernia repair, ganglion cyst removal, and more.

Stay tuned to see how this mission wraps up!

05/28/2026

Team Heart of Texas is hard at work in Zambia! The team has already completed 30 cases during their trip. 💙

This mission marks the first visit to Zambia for Operation International since 2007, and the first visit to the country for Team Heart of Texas. Team Heart of Texas was founded in 2024 with the goal of delivering advanced Head and Neck and ENT surgical care to those who need it most.

Keep up the good work, Team Heart of Texas!

05/27/2026

Joining Team Heart of Texas in Zambia this week is a new OI team, the Critical Care Education and Response Team.

The team, led by Dr. Vijay Bhola, has already taught a fundamentals of critical care support course in Lusaka University Teaching Hospital in Zambia with 30 students and faculty. OI’s COO Joseph Lewis supported the creation of the team and the class.

OI envisions the CCERT team playing a vital role in both training local healthcare providers and providing rapid, specialized support during missions.

Great work!

05/25/2026

Another team is off to change lives! Team Heart of Texas has made it to Zambia, where they will complete their second mission since forming in 2024. 💙

The team aims to expand on the success of their first trip and bring expert head and neck surgical care to the people of Zambia, build the capacity of University Teaching Hospital in Livingstone, Zambia. to improve the hospital infrastructure, educate and support the local surgeons.

Stay tuned to follow along!