title: Hernia surgery in the South American woodlands: a surgical adventure in Argentina.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Because of the socioeconomic conditions existing today in Argentina, I decided to operate on hernias and incisional hernias among the poorest population in their living environment.
  
  
  METHODS
  To achieve this, I organized a group of 19 people, including resident surgeons and technicians, transferring everything in order to set up three surgical rooms in an old house, in the worst surgical environment, in the middle of the woodlands in the northeast tropical part of our country. It was like war-trench surgery but in peacetime. We successfully operated on 83 cases with different techniques in 4 days, in a trip that lasted a week.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 18 months, there is not even one complication or recurrence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because of this experience, I must remark that the patients' immunity-cicatricial condition is essential to success.
authors.affiliation: lherszage@intramed.net.ar
authors.forename: Leon
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Herszage
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001118:Argentina; D005260:Female; D046449:Hernia, Abdominal / Q000208:ethnology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000379:methods*