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Dr. James Reese was amazed by the number of PE tubes needed by the children.

Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialists Heal People of Kosrae

An ear, nose, and throat team began the New Year by healing people on the small island of Kosrae, in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). Organized by Canvasback Missions co-founder Jacque Spence, the 10-member team provided examinations and treatment for more than 500 patients and performed 91 surgeries in just nine days. They also dispensed 21 hearing aids to patients and gave other much needed medical supplies to the Kosrae State Hospital.

Led by Dr. James Reese (Sonora, CA), with the help of Dr. James Sadoyama (Walla Walla, WA) the team provided a range of services including examinations, ear cleaning, and 65 “bilateral tympanometry” and PE tube surgeries. “We were amazed by the number of PE tube surgeries needed,” commented Dr. Reese. “It seemed to be the surgery of the trip.” The tympanometry and PE tube surgery involves making a tiny hole in the eardrum and inserting a tube to allow drainage of fluid. It is a standard procedure in the United States. Other more involved surgeries included tympanoplasty, thyroidectomy, and maringotomy.

Dr. James Sadoyama (right) is assisted in surgery by surgical tech Buk Manson.

Dr. Robert Veder (Nipomo, CA) administered 128 audiology exams and provided 21 hearing aids for people who had not been able to hear for years. Hearing aids are nonexistent in Kosrae. One of the patients who received a hearing aid was a 12-year-old girl who had been suffering from hearing loss since the second grade. Dr. Veder said that when he fitted her with a hearing aid, although she seemed hesitant at first, the expression on her face when she could finally hear spoke volumes of her delight and appreciation.

Anesthesiologist Jamal Mustafa (Rancho Cucamonga, CA), surgical tech Stephen “Buk” Manson (Sonora, CA) and registered nurse Lynn Kriegs (Sonora, CA) rounded out the operating room staff. Amy Peat (Vallejo, CA) and Kelly Russell (Benicia, CA) lent administrative assistance and culinary skills to the team.

Kosrae State Hospital has a great need for supplies, equipment and trained professionals. Problems that would be considered routine go undiagnosed, often causing further complications that could be avoided if preventive measures were taken.

When the Canvasback team arrived, they found that there was only one canister of isoflurane, a vaporizer needed for the anesthesia machine. This inexpensive item was nevertheless essential for surgery and they only had enough to last three days. The item had been on order for four months, and the Canvasback team had to have several canisters shipped in by air freight in order to continue operating.

Although it is the second largest island in the FSM, Kosrae has a small landmass that is home to approximately 8,000 people. The locals of Kosrae are a gracious and gentle people who welcomed the team with open hearts. Although limited in resources, almost daily the patients brought gifts such as fresh fruit or sugar cane in appreciation for the donated services.

Donna Reese was delighted by the dramatic changes she witnessed in the children after surgery.

“One of the most rewarding things to see was the difference in the countenance of the people, specifically the numerous children, when they came in for their tympanometry and PE tube post-op checkups,” commented Donna Reese (Sonora, CA), the speech language pathologist, who assisted Dr. Veder in the clinic. “The listless and vague expressions on their faces, often caused by fluid found in the middle ear, were replaced by alertness to everything going on around them and bright expressions on their faces. It was almost like seeing different children.”