Ukraine has held its first international military surgery and resuscitation course, training 16 physicians who treat wounded troops near the front line.
Eight surgeons and eight anesthesiologists serving at front-line stabilization points and in forward surgical teams completed the week-long course.
Instructors from the American College of Surgeons and the International Association for Trauma Surgery and Intensive Care delivered the training, with support from Razom4Ukraine and Expertise France.
The program combined Advanced Trauma Life Support, Definitive Surgical Trauma Care, and Advanced Surgical Skills for Exposure in Trauma (ASSET).
Surgeons and anesthesiologists trained together to practice coordinating treatment in critical situations.
Dubbed “Tryzub,” the initiative is a pilot for a broader military medical training system.
Kyiv plans to expand the courses across Ukraine’s Defence Forces, using training practices followed in the US and other NATO member states.
Earlier Training in Poland
The Tryzub course builds on earlier international training for Ukrainian military surgical teams.
Last year, 80 Ukrainian military surgeons and 50 operating room nurses completed ASSET training in Warsaw, Poland, across 10 cohorts.
Aspen Medical supported the sessions in partnership with the American College of Surgeons.
The practical curriculum covered 26 surgical procedures, focusing on accessing anatomical structures to treat injuries that threaten a patient’s life or limbs.
Ukrainian medical personnel have participated in ASSET courses regularly since December 2023.
Across 17 cohorts, 220 personnel, 135 surgeons, and 85 operating room nurses have completed the training.
Cooperation with international partners also brought the course into US Department of Defense assistance programs for Ukraine’s armed forces.
