Dr. Andrew Scott Supports Cardiac Surgery Capacity-Building in Honduras
Last fall, Dr. Andrew Scott traveled to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, to participate in a cardiac surgery medical mission at the Instituto Nacional Cardiopulmonar (INCP)—continuing the work from Dr. Stephen Bott and the University of Utah team from the year before.
The mission is part of Open Heart Honduras, a long-term effort to help re-establish a high-quality, self-sustaining cardiac surgery program within the country. The project aims to strengthen INCP through annual surgical support, hands-on clinical education, and sustainable training pathways for local providers.
During an intensive week of collaboration, the team completed nine cardiac surgeries, each serving as both a clinical intervention and an educational opportunity. Dr. Scott worked closely with local anesthesiologists, residents, nurses, and ICU staff—teaching principles of valvular physiology, cardiac induction goals, TEE fundamentals, and postoperative hemodynamic management.
The experience underscored the challenges of caring for complex cardiac patients in a resource-limited setting. Essential supplies such as micropuncture kits, Seldinger equipment, and certain medications were difficult to obtain; vascular access often required improvisation; and imaging resources were limited to an older TEE machine. Yet Dr. Scott highlighted the skill, adaptability, and teamwork of local clinicians who deliver exceptional care despite these constraints.
A key focus of the mission was capacity building. As the week progressed, Honduran providers assumed increasing responsibility for anesthetic management, demonstrating meaningful growth in confidence and independence. Looking forward, the team identified opportunities to expand TEE education, support ICU training, and secure donations of essential equipment to build greater long-term sustainability.
Dr. Scott expressed deep appreciation for the leadership of Dr. Miguel Alvarez, who organized and guided the mission; for surgical lead Dr. Selzman; and for both the Utah and Honduran teams whose compassion and collaboration made the week a success!
This ongoing partnership reflects the department’s commitment to global health, education, and improving access to safe cardiac care—impact that extends far beyond Utah and helps strengthen health systems around the world.