OKLAHOMA CITY (OBV) – OU Health is expanding a physician exchange program that provides surgical humanitarian training to physicians from Ukraine, teaching the surgeons how to treat traumatic battlefield injuries.
The expansion saw OU Health welcome a cohort of nine Ukrainian surgeons this month. It’s OU Health’s fifth such cohort and its largest yet.
OU Health facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon Mark Mims, M.D., assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, led the program, which gives Ukrainian physicians hands-on training in the operating room and in the surgical skills lab.
“Working side-by-side with my Ukrainian colleagues to bring leading-edge surgical techniques to Ukraine has been the deepest honor of my professional career,” Mims said. “OU Health is committed to establishing itself as a premier international training center for surgeons from conflict zones. 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.”
The month-long program, named Operation Ukraine, began on April 14 and ends May 9. It trains surgical specialists who work in challenging conditions with limited resources and treat patients who have complex traumatic injuries.
Operation Ukraine is the only program in the U.S. that provides international surgeons hands-on surgical privileges.
The program added oculoplastics and orthopedics to its existing specialties of head and neck surgery and neurosurgery for this year’s cohort.
Surgeons participating in this year’s cohort work in military medical centers from across Ukraine, including facilities in Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa and Vinnytsia. They will use the training they receive in Oklahoma to treat critical battlefield injuries.
The Ukrainian surgeons are staying with host families while in Oklahoma.
OU Health is able to offer the program by collaborating with with Razom for Ukraine, a nonprofit that provides funding for travel, stipends and administrative coordination.
Operation Ukraine coincides with the 30th anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing. It exemplifies the Oklahoma Standard.
“As the U.S. commemorates 30 years since the Oklahoma City bombing, this collaboration represents international medical solidarity,” said Alex Domaradsky, observership coordinator for Razom. “This shared effort underscores the importance of humanitarian medical training to improve patient care worldwide.”
Operation Ukraine was inspired by a medical trip Mims took in 2022 in which American surgeons collaborated with Ukrainian doctors on complex procedures. He learned about Razom for Ukraine and Face to Face, the humanitarian arm of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (AAFPRS). AAFPRS has conducted four medical trips to Ukraine in partnership with Razom since 2022.
The program has trained 15 Ukrainian surgeons over the past two years, with 10 more expected later in 2025. The expanded program represents OU Health and Razom’s continued commitment to global surgical education and humanitarian outreach.
The Ukrainian surgeons will share their experiences and discuss how their training will improve war-related trauma care in Ukraine during a Grand Rounds session hosted by OU Health on Wednesday.
Ukraine is currently embroiled in war with Russia. Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Dr. Volodymyr Salamashchak, an oculoplastics specialist from the Military Medical Clinical Center of the Western Region in Lviv, said the training at OU Health will help with treating battlefield injuries.
“This training will allow me to develop critical skills for treating eyelid and orbital trauma, which are unfortunately common in wartime injuries,” he said.
Dr. Mykola Zhuzhoma, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon from Kharkiv, spoke about the benefit of being able to train far away from harrowing wartime conditions.
“In our hospitals, we’re sometimes operating during air raid sirens, with limited equipment and difficult patient transfers,” Dr. Zhuzhoma said. “Here, we can learn in a controlled environment, taking time to master techniques that we can then adapt to our challenging circumstances. The willingness of OU Health physicians to share their expertise shows a true humanitarian spirit that transcends borders.”
Visit the OU Health website and the Razom Co-Pilot project website for more information on Operation Ukraine.
