The Finnish Forward Surgical Team: Lessons from the European Union Forces Operation République Démocratique du Congo

Abstract

The European Union Forces Operation République Démocratique du Congo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2006 was the first operation planned and conducted solely by the European Union Forces. The Finnish forward surgical team (FST) was deployed for 4 months in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Because of the peacekeeping nature of the operation, the surgical workload was light and the total number of patients treated by the FST was 12. However, there is an obvious need to establish similar surgical assets in future operations. The lessons and experiences regarding the variables in the composition of the FST (mobility, surgical ability, staffing, patient care, physical stability, environmental adaptation, and independence) are discussed in the present article. The major future challenges are to resource the FST units optimally to remain light and easily deployable and to maintain the effectiveness of the unit during nonclinical periods.