When the CTOverseas initiative team lands in China, there is more awaiting them than just a medical mission. It's a journey into another dimension – professionally, culturally, and humanly.
Already on the way to Guangzhou, it becomes clear how immense the task is. While Germany has around 80 million inhabitants, the catchment area of this metropolitan region is home to approximately 240 million people. Hospitals are correspondingly busy, cases are often complex – and especially in specialized pediatric surgery, there is still a lack of experience with certain procedures.
The daily routine on-site begins early. Discussions with local teams, reviewing patient files, preparing for long operating days. International specialists work hand in hand with the local doctors – focused, precise, with a common goal: to provide the best possible care for the young patients.
In November 2013, Prof. Dr. Martin Lacher was also part of this team. Together with colleagues from the USA and Europe, he treated around 20 children in a short period with severe conditions such as anorectal malformations or Hirschsprung's disease. Each procedure was a challenge, each successful operation a step forward.
And then there are those moments that cannot be planned: In the middle of the mission, a newborn is admitted – with a congenital esophageal malformation. The situation is urgent. For Prof. Lacher and the team, this means acting immediately.
"We decided to perform the procedure minimally invasively," he recalls. "It was the first time this method was used in Guangzhou." In the operating room, the Chinese colleagues meticulously observe every move. What is happening here is not just an operation – it is real-time knowledge transfer in practice.
Between procedures, there is hardly any time to catch a breath. And yet, precisely this exchange is crucial: In seminars, in discussions, directly in the operating room, knowledge is shared, debated, and solidified. The goal is to create structures that last – so that complex procedures can be performed independently on-site in the future.
When the team finally departs, they take more with them than just experiences. They are encounters, shared successes, and the knowledge that their efforts will bring about long-term change – for the children, for the hospitals, and for the future of local medical care.
