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What makes HUGS Missions Successful?
We have operated on 270 patients and have performed 311 surgical procedures since the beginning of our program. We see returning patients on each mission to evaluate their progress and/or perform additional surgery when required.
In August 2007, the team screened 120 patients in one day. There were
70 surgical patients with 82 surgical procedures performed in 5 days,
including 32 first-stage microtia cases, 16 second stage, 12 third
stages, 19 fourth stages and 3 miscellaneous procedures.
Based on current CPT codes, a total of $550,000 in surgical fees were donated.
There is, obviously, an intangible success that is seen in the
appreciation and joy of parents and children whom we have helped. Vito
C. Quatela, MD, the founder of HUGS and one of the volunteer surgeons
on each mission says simply,
“I cannot begin to adequately express the importance of the work we
do on our missions. Each time we travel to a distant land, we are able
to leave knowing that about 50 young people have been dramatically
impacted by our efforts. Their faces have been changed, and their
lives will never be the same. I believe that, in continuing this task
with the talent and resources we have, we will leave the world a little
better than we found it.”
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Mission Trips 
