A Practical Approach to Understanding Global Surgery

In this kickoff episode of the Behind the Knife Global Surgery Series, we dive into what global surgery really means—and why it matters to all of us. Five billion people lack access to safe, timely, and affordable surgical care. Our guest, Dr. Juan Carlos Puyana, shares powerful insights on redefining global surgery, building meaningful collaborations, and why surgeons in high-resource countries should care deeply about this work. If you want to broaden your vision of surgery, challenge assumptions, and hear stories that connect operating rooms from South Carolina to South Africa, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Hosts/Guest:

Mike M. Mallah, MD, FACS, FICS
Director of Global Surgery at Medical University of South Carolina
@MikeMMallahMD
@MUSCGlobalSurg
mallahm@musc.edu

Juan Carlos Puyana, MD, FACS
O’Brian Chair of Global Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland
@jcpuyanamd
@RCSI_GlobalSurg

Learning objectives:

• Define global surgery and explain how its meaning has evolved to highlight disparities in access to safe, timely, and affordable surgical care worldwide.
• Recognize the value of global surgery engagement for trainees and surgeons in high-resource settings, including broadening perspectives and fostering humility.
• Identify principles of ethical collaboration in global surgery, using real-world examples of partnerships built on trust, mutual respect, and shared goals.

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