Citation

Rush RM, Stockmaster NR, Stinger HK, Arrington ED, Devine JG, Atteberry L, Starnes BW, Place RJ. Am. J. Surg. 2005; 189(5): 564-70; discussion 570.

Affiliation

Department of Surgery, Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA 98433, USA. robert.rush1@us.army.mil

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.amjsurg.2005.01.035

PMID

15862497

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Forward Surgical Teams (FSTs) are 20-person units designed to perform front-line, life-saving combat surgery. This study compares the employment, injuries encountered, and workload of an airborne FST in two widely varying campaigns. METHODS: The 250th FST provided far forward surgery for initial entry assaults and follow-on stability operations in Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom [OEF]) and northern Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom [OIF]). Prospective data on all patients admitted to the 250th were analyzed. Data from civil affairs missions were evaluated retrospectively. RESULTS: In supporting combat operations, 127 surgical procedures (OEF: 68, OIF: 59) were performed on 98 patients (OEF: 50, OIF: 48) during 17 months deployed (OEF: 6, OIF: 11). After initial assaults, stability actions varied significantly in terms of civil affairs missions (OEF: 3, OIF: 161). CONCLUSIONS: Although the number and types of combat casualties were similar between the campaigns, employment of the FST changed dramatically in OIF because of increased medical reconstruction missions.

Language: en