Last november, we completed our first Open Heart Honduras surgical mission, as a collaboration between the University of Utah with the National Cardiopulmonary Institute “Chest Hospital” in Tegucigalpa.

The initial step involved conducting a preliminary assessment visit in May 2024, during which          we evaluated the hospital's capabilities in Tegucigalpa and identified the institution's requirements to perform cardiac surgery, under the guidance of Dr. Haroldo López, the hospital's director.

Following generous donations from the Nasser Foundation and other donors in Honduras and the United States, we collaborated with medical teams from Utah and the Chest Hospital to select 10 patients in urgent need of surgical intervention.

Subsequently, between November 18 and 22, we successfully performed all 10 scheduled surgeries.

All patients were discharged without major complications and currently enjoy an excellent long-term prognosis

Surgeries performed