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Children's Hospital Los Angeles Surgeons Return from Medical Mission to Amman, JordanLOS ANGELES --(Business Wire)-- A four-man surgical team from Children's Hospital Los Angeles recently returned from a medical mission to Amman, Jordan where they successfully treated 44 Jordanian children in need of specialized plastic surgery at the King Hussein Medical Center. 
Doctors from Children's Hospital Los Angeles and Children of War Foundation briefing Her Majesty Queen Rania in Amman, Jordan. From Left: Jeffrey A. Hammoudeh, MD, DDS,(CHLA), Amel Najjar, executive director and co-founder COWF; Hany Haddad, Her Majesty Queen Rania; Andrew Ordon, MD; Khaled Mutabagani, MD (Saudi Arabia); Mark Urata, MD, DDS, head, Division Maxillofacial & Plastic Surgery (CHLA). (Photo: Business Wire) "Many of the children chosen had conditions that needed specific operations, requiring sub-specialized care," says Mark Urata, MD, DDS, chief of Children's Hospital Division of Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery. "The U.S.-based clinic models implemented - teaching techniques and surgical interventions through observations and participation by local doctors - were quite successful, proving that sustainability can be more effective with education." Urata was joined by Jeffrey A. Hammoudeh, MD, DDS, director of Jaw Deformities Center at Children's Hospital Los Angeles; Andre Panossian, MD, director of Vascular Anomalies Center; and Andy Chang, MD, Pediatric Urologist, Division of Pediatric Urology. he team reviewed more than 80 complex cases the first clinic day, and then selected 44 Jordanian children to undergo reconstructive surgery. The team also examined a Syrian Civil War child refugee who had suffered a shrapnel wound to the head, but doctors determined the injuries could be treated by local King Hussein physicians. Twenty-four procedures alone were completed on the second day, including a 10-hour facial bipartition procedure performed by Urata. The cases included diagnoses ranging from hemangiomas, vascular malformations, hand reconstruction, craniofacial reconstruction and numerous amounts of ambiguous genitalia in Jordanian children among other abnormalities. The mission was performed in collaboration with the Children of War Foundation (COWF) and physicians from the King Hussein Medical Center. COWF is a non-profit, non-politically affiliated international organization that provides medical care to children with physical deformities. Team members also met with Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan where they briefed her about the foundation's work and the surgical services they provided. They also praised the level of medical care provided at the King Hussein center and expressed their gratitude to all official and voluntary institutions that helped facilitate their mission. "What started out as a weeklong mission turned into an incredible journey," says Hammoudeh. "It allowed us to build bridges and relationships that transcend the 7500 miles that physically divide us." The team was also invited by Her Royal Highness Princess Dina Mired to tour the King Hussein Cancer Research Center and the U.S. Ambassador Stuart Jones (News - Alert) visited the team during a reception held by HE Senator Michael Nazzal and Mona Naffa at their home. Jones was fully supportive of the COWF team's mission and hopes to continue building the relationship between the American and Jordanian doctors. About Children's Hospital Los Angeles Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children's hospital on the West Coast and among the top five in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious US News & World Report Honor Roll. Children's Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States. Children's Hospital is also one of America's premier teaching hospitals through its affiliation since 1932 with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. For more information, visit www.CHLA.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog: www.WeAreCHLA.org.
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