From Texas to Ukraine: Life-saving care for a young soldier

On the front lines of war-torn Ukraine, a young soldier’s life hung in the balance. Amid the chaos of battle, he sustained a devastating intra-abdominal injury. In desperate need of critical care, he endured a lengthy cross-country train ride to Lviv, where local medical teams worked tirelessly to stabilize him. However, the complexity of his injury presented challenges that left him requiring ongoing intensive care weeks later. Before the war, many Ukrainian medical professionals had little to no experience treating such combat injuries, making cases like his even more difficult to manage.

At the onset of the conflict, World Telehealth Initiative (WTI) stepped in to connect Ukrainian providers with combat critical care experts across the world to help save lives like this young soldier’s. WTI supports 26 hospitals and health outposts in Ukraine in partnership with the Ministry of Health. Through telehealth, international medical specialists support local clinicians in vital specialties like neurosurgery and critical care, to help manage the complex cases pouring in from the front lines and those with chronic conditions.

Dr. Holcomb (second from left) visiting Ukraine

Through WTI’s program, the medical team caring for the young soldier in Ukraine connected with Dr. John Holcomb, a trauma surgeon with 23 years of experience caring for combat casualties in the U.S. Army. He had visited Ukraine five times previously to train providers, sharing his knowledge, and supporting patient care. “The opportunity to work with colleagues, operate in, and understand the supply issues in the Ukrainian healthcare system, and then have the opportunity to be involved with several patients, is something I’m very grateful for,” he shared.

From his home in Texas, Dr. Holcomb connected with the medical team treating the young soldier in Lviv. He recalled, “I was able to sit here in Houston, Texas…and look very carefully at his colostomy and look at his wound and look at the granulation tissue. It was pretty amazing…the ability to pan out and look at the whole patient and then to pan in and look at a wound very closely was remarkable.”  

Dr. Holcomb was able to offer insights and recommendations to accelerate the soldier’s recovery. “It would have been impossible, actually, without the WTI device” Dr. Holcomb said. In a situation where every minute counts, telemedicine bridged the gap between medical expertise and the frontlines of war to save this young man’s life. His story underscores the incredible impact of telehealth in crisis zones, and the unwavering commitment of medical professionals who transcend borders to save lives.