The Peruvian American Medical Society, Inc., (PAMS), has
conducted medical missions to Peru since 1994, treating
thousands of patients at no charge. Dr. Efrain Montesinos,
Chairman of the Medical Missions Committee of the PAMS,
saw the need for a continuous program, due to a lack of
cardiovascular surgical facilities for the poor in the entire country.
An ad hoc committee undertook a detailed study, which determined
the necessity of creating such a facility at the Hospital Dos
de Mayo in Lima, Peru.

In 1999, San Fernando alumnus, Dr. Montesinos, was
named Director of the new Cardiothoracic Surgical Program,
an ad honorem position at this major teaching hospital.
As a result, the first permanent medical mission program
was launched. With the support of the PAMS, and their San
Marcos University Alumni Chapter, sixty cardiovascular
procedures were performed that year in seven months of
work, and in the subsequent four years, 550 more
cardiac procedures were performed on both children and
adults. The overwhelming majority of patients to date
suffered from multi-valvular disease, as a sequelae of rheumatic
heart disease or neglected congenital heart disease. The limiting
factor for performing more surgery, is the difficulty in obtaining donated
surgical material such as oxigenators, tubing, catheters, heart valves
and other supplies. In desperate situations supplies are purchased
locally to serve the patients. Patients from hospitals all over Peru are
referred to the Cardiothoracic Surgical Program. The success rate of the
procedures performed by Dr. Montesinos, Mrs. Montesinos
and their team of volunteers are comparable to standards at
major hospitals in the United States. The Program is a training
center for new thoracic and cardiovascular surgeons in Peru,
in affiliation with the San Fernando Medical School of
San Marcos University.