Venezuelan Surgeon Yesy Medina Performs Hundreds of Operations After San Juan Earthquakes

Following the twin San Juan earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24–25, the public Domingo Luciani Hospital in Caracas faced a flood of injured patients – children, adults and seniors alike. Trauma surgeon Yesy Medina, a 38‑year‑old from Puerto Ordaz, worked continuously for two weeks alongside a team of about thirty specialists. The group carried out roughly 215 operations, with Medina leading 30 procedures and assisting in another 15.

Patients included a teenage girl rescued from a collapsed elevator with spinal and pelvic fractures and an 18‑year‑old from La Guaira whose home gas cylinder exploded, sustaining severe burns on 40 % of his body. The surgeons performed dozens of fasciotomies to prevent muscle necrosis and had to amputate a young boy’s leg due to crushing injuries. Medina reported sleeping only about 40 minutes between shifts and operating in three‑quarters of the hospital’s operating rooms. She also practices at La Floresta clinic and the Centro Médico Docente de La Trinidad, while international rescue teams aided the massive emergency response.