Gyn Laparoscopy in the Caribbean
First St. Lucia, now Barbados----and with Fanfare!

CariGES Launch 

The launching of advanced gynecologic endoscopy in Barbados on Tuesday, November 3, 2009, under the banner of CariGES exceeded all my expectations. Dr. J. Eltora Bennett was the principal architect. The ceremonial function was held at the prestigious Sandy Lane Hotel. In attendance were more than 120 guests including physicians, ministers of government, officials of the health care systems, both private and public sectors, and well wishers. The minister of health the Honorable Donville Inniss and the minister of tourism the Honorable Richard Sealy congratulated Dr. Bennett on her innovative spirit and perceived the venture to be a significant step in the development of tourist medicine.

CariGES Launch at Sandy Lane Hotel Photo (Left to right):  Dr. LaFond, Dr. Bennett, Doctor, The Hon. Esther Byer-Suckoo - minister of youth, family and sport, The Hon Donville Inniss - minister of health,  Dr. John George and Mr. Karl Williams.

And while the guests applauded the successful completion of the first surgical procedure conducted that morning, Doctor, the Honorable Esther Byer-Suckoo minister of youth, family and sport voiced a word of caution since her medical knowledge made it imperative that she wait until several days following surgery to consider it a success. We, the providers were apprehensive that we had aroused a prominent audience who would be critically awaiting the results of the operations on the other ten patients during the course of the next four days. But we should take a moment to reflect upon the activities that led to the launch. 

Dr. Bennett had attended all but one of the six laparoscopy training sessions that I conducted in St. Lucia.

Photo: Dr. Bennett practices maneuvers on a pelvic trainer in St. Lucia under the watchful eyes of Dr. Bishop, left and Dr. George, right.

I also gave her a tour of our operating room facilities at the Washington Hospital Center. At all of the sessions in St. Lucia her patients accompanied her from Barbados to receive laparoscopic management of their fibroids so that they would experience less post-operative pain and a shorter period of disability compared to the traditional open procedure. Despite this Dr. Bennett was aware of the reluctance of some of her patients to make the trip to St. Lucia and therefore decided to provide the services in Barbados.

Photo (Left to right):  Dr. LaFond, Nurse Dixon, Dr. Bennett, and Dr. George smile following a successful operation in St. Lucia.

After completing the sixth session in St. Lucia in October, she invited me to Barbados to assist her in conducting the first advanced Gyn laparoscopic surgical procedures on the Island at Bayview Hospital from November 3-6.

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