Jaeck Adamek, Rob Hart and Andrew Kingsnorth, with registrars Jamasp Dastur and Sameer Kadam completed the fifth mission at the ACE clinic in Eruwa, Oyo State, Nigeria during 12-20 November. Seventy patients received mosquito net mesh repair under local anaesthetic. Operation Hernia also contributed to the International Federation of Rural Surgeons meeting that was taking place simultaneously (picture above shows the official opening by the local Oba), and organised by Dr Awojobi, with the participation of the Association of Rural Surgical Practitioners Of Nigeria.

A site visit initiated by surgical registrar Caris Grimes, accompanied by Consultant surgeon Paul Thomas from Epsom & St Helier's hospital UK, took place in July to Thyolo District Hospital, Malawi. This site offers a realistic opportunity for Operation Hernia to not only provide much needed hernia operations, but also to build up the skills of the existing Clinical Officers in mosquito-mesh hernia surgery. Caris and Paul have also drawn up an agreement to develop clinical and educational links between UK surgical trainees and the College of Medicine in Blantyre. Volunteers wishing to go to Malawi in 2012 step forward!
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First use of mosquito net mesh in Europe!
During a mission to Moldova, Europe's poorest country, Operation Hernia surgeons routinely used mosquito net mesh for the repair of inguinal and incisional hernias. The surgeons at Soroca District Hospital were taught mesh hernioplasty techniques with this affordable material. See full Report on the page "2011 Missions"

Can you fix a hernia with a mosquito net?
Comment by Dr Diana L Farmer concerning Operation Hernia publication on the cost-effectivenes of mosquito net mesh for repair of inguinal hernias in low-income countries published in Archives of Surgery.
“In this article, the authors not only assess the costs and outcomes of hernia repair in terms of DALYs averted but also describe a fabulously clever, inexpensive, amd context-appropriate way to treat this specific surgical disease: using locally available mosquito netting and local/regional anesthesia”