Rysavy spreads laparoscopic surgery knowledge in Brazil
Through a global collaboration spanning from Houston to central Brazil, Mary Rysavy, MD, associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, helped surgeons at Hospital São Lucas master minimally invasive gynecologic surgery.
With support from the Global Health Faculty Award, Rysavy and her team partnered with Roni Arienti, MD, from Hospital São Lucas to increase laparoscopic gynecologic surgery capacity in Lucas do Rio Verde, Brazil.
Beginning in September 2024, Rysavy and Arienti met via Zoom with local obstetrician-gynecologists at Hospital São Lucas to assess available laparoscopic equipment, identify training needs, and discuss workflow and logistics to establish a program in Brazil. Additionally, Rysavy shared “The Fundamentals of Laparoscopy,” the written curriculum used by residents at McGovern Medical School, as well as PowerPoint presentations and other training materials for the Brazilian surgeons to study.
In July, Rysavy and Diandra Socha, MD, a fourth-year resident, traveled to Lucas do Rio Verde to complete 15 laparoscopic procedures alongside the Brazilian surgical team. For each procedure, Rysavy and Socha served as the teaching surgeon and assistant, respectively, while one Brazilian surgeon served as the primary and another as an observer.
Each of the 15 surgeries was a tubal ligation, but one procedure included an ovarian cystectomy, and several involved intra-abdominal adhesions, which required more advanced techniques.
“We focused on establishing safe laparoscopic entry methods, trocar placement, safe dissection, and management of complications,” Rysavy said. “By the end of the training week, all five local surgeons had completed laparoscopic procedures successfully, and two were able to perform surgeries independently without supervision.”
The project also proved beneficial for McGovern Medical School student Alicia Lore, who spent two weeks at the hospital for an elective. Lore arrived a week before the surgical trip to learn about the Brazilian health system and help prepare the surgeons for training.
“The training program successfully introduced laparoscopic surgery to the gynecology service at Hospital São Lucas,” Rysavy said. “Several local surgeons are now equipped to perform basic laparoscopic procedures independently and plan to expand the program to include more complex surgeries.”
The Brazilian surgeons have continued to perform basic laparoscopic surgeries and have advanced to more complex procedures such as laparoscopic salpingectomy and evacuation of hemoperitoneum for a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. Additionally, the collaborative group plans to continue mentorship remotely.
“Patients in Lucas do Rio Verde now have improved access to minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, with anticipated reductions in hospital stay and recovery times,” Rysavy said.