Medical researchers help wounded warriors

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Josie Walck
  • 59th Medical Wing Public Affairs
LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) --  A team of medical researchers from the 59th Medical Wing Clinical Research division is here working to help servicemembers affected by vascular, or circulatory, injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Vascular injury rates in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are five times higher than previously reported in wartime with 75 percent involving extremities," said Capt. (Dr.) Heather Hancock, a general surgery resident and research fellow. "We have developed a subject model which simulates leg injuries seen in Iraq and Afghanistan. This allows us to try interventions which will save more legs that work better.

"We also study how severe blood loss affects the ability to save the limbs," she said. "The study showed that blood flow should be established to the leg within the first hour after injury to avoid muscle and nerve damage. "

Historically, surgeons have been taught they have six hours to reestablish blood flow with no negative impact on the leg.

"This has been a very important finding which may change how we, as surgeons, approach a limb without blood flow to it," Dr. Hancock said. "You cannot participate in research designed to help our wounded soldiers and not be changed by the experience."

With the help of her team, the captain has won two resident research paper competitions and the nationally recognized Norman M. Rich Military Surgery Paper competition. She also has won the surgeon general's award for sessions in general, plastics and urology.

The team consists of Dr. Hancock, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Adam Stannard, Capt. (Dr.) Gabriel Burkhardt and Jerry Spencer. All are supervised by Lt. Col. (Dr.) Todd Rasmussen.

Dr. Hancock is not the only member of this team to be recognized for special achievements.

Captain Burkhardt received third place in a resident research paper competition and Commander Stannard also has won the surgeon general's award for sessions in general, plastics and urology.

The team works continually to prevent pain and weakness from becoming long term affects after these types of injuries.

"The goal of our research is to push ourselves beyond our current comfort level in all aspects of medicine and find better ways to help wounded (servicemembers)," Dr. Hancock said, "which eventually translates to helping civilian medicine as well."