Returning to Vietnam with Operation Restore Hope
Earlier this month, Tristan travelled to Hanoi, Vietnam as part of an international volunteer team with Operation Restore Hope, a charitable organisation providing reconstructive surgery for children and young people with cleft lip, cleft palate and other congenital conditions.
This marked Operation Restore Hope's 27th mission and its third visit to Vietnam. Working in partnership with 108 Military Central Hospital in Hanoi, the team brought together surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses and allied health professionals from New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany and Vietnam.
The mission began with an intensive screening clinic, where around 250 children and young people were assessed for treatment. For many families, this was their first opportunity to be examined by a specialist reconstructive surgery team. Some had travelled long distances from across Vietnam in the hope of accessing care that would otherwise be inaccessible to them.
Dr. Tristan de Chalain and the ORH specialist team conduct a screening to assess children for treatment.
Following screening, more than 100 patients were identified as potential candidates for surgery. Over the following days, the international team worked across multiple operating theatres, performing a wide range of reconstructive procedures. Alongside primary cleft lip and palate repairs, the mission also included corrective surgery for patients living with the effects of previous operations, as well as for injuries or congenital differences.
A child preparing for surgery is cared for by an Operation Restore Hope nurse.
While the surgical work is central to these missions, the impact extends far beyond the operating theatre. Every patient represents an individual story, a family and a future. One particularly memorable patient was a young girl born with a cleft lip and palate whose family had undertaken a long journey to seek treatment. The girl’s mother, who lives with an intellectual disability, nevertheless undertook the long and arduous journey to be by her daughter’s side. After the successful procedure, the parents’ relief was palpable. For them, this was far more than just an operation. For the family as much as for their daughter, it was the first step towards a new life.
The mission also highlighted the importance of international collaboration. Medical teams from different countries worked side by side, sharing expertise, supporting one another during complex procedures and contributing to the ongoing exchange of knowledge with local clinicians. This partnership model helps ensure that the benefits of each mission continue long after the visiting team has returned home.
Dr. de Chalain and an international medical team collaborate to ensure the best possible surgical outcomes for the children in their care.
For Tristan, participating in Operation Restore Hope has been both professionally rewarding and deeply personally meaningful. The most memorable part of the mission was meeting the patients and families. The courage shown by children facing surgery, and the hope shared by their parents, was a powerful reminder of the difference that timely treatment can make.
A father holds his child after a successful operation.
We are grateful to Operation Restore Hope, our colleagues in Vietnam, and the many donors, sponsors and volunteers whose support makes this work possible. Most importantly, we thank the patients and families who placed their trust in the team. Their resilience, courage and hope are the reason these missions matter.
