Lors du soutien aux Forces Armées sur les théâtres d’opérations
extérieures, les chirurgiens du Service de Santé des Armées doivent
être familiarisés avec les principes de la chirurgie de guerre: mise
en oeuvre rapide, matériel polyvalent, techniques simples et reproductibles.
Ces principes d'exercice impliquent une formation de
chirurgien généraliste en traumatologie, mais aussi en urgence digestive,
thoracique et vasculaire. A la lumière de l' expérience de
quatre chirurgiens de l' Hôpital d'Instruction des Armées Desgenettes
de LYON, l'auteur insiste sur l'évidente nécessité de cette formation
initiale pluridisciplinaire des Chirurgiens des Armées, et pointe
les qualités requises dans cette pratique: capacité d'adaptation des
techniques chirurgicales en environnement rustique, maîtrise de
matériels de diverses origines, personnel médical multinational,
autant de difficultés tout au long de la prise en charge des patients,
et que tout chirurgien doit se préparer à rencontrer en mission extérieure.
Military surgeons in operations: needs of a basic training and
practice as generalist surgeon
As French Military Forces expected to be deployed in operations
abroad, surgeons belonging to the Health Department of the French
Armed Forces have to complete war-time surgery principles: rapid
preparation and use of multi purpose material, simple surgery techniques
in a surgical environment with limited capabilities; "easy to
learn" surgery techniques in order to facilitate further implementation,
either by local or international surgeons.
Those principles of surgery practices imply a wide training in general
surgery, in traumatology, but also in visceral, thoracic and
vascular emergency.
From the experience of four surgeons of Army Instruction Hospital
DESGENETTES of LYON, the author underlines the obvious necessity
of an overall initial training, for Armed Forces Military
Surgeons, and points out the required qualities for such a practice:
adaptability to surgical techniques with limited capacities, knowledge
and ability to use a large panel of various medical items and
equipments, ability to work within a multinational staff.
Therefore, each Military Surgeon has to be especially prepared to
military operations and to face such difficulties while carrying out
his primary mission: to take care of patients.