Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

U.S. Navy 'Devil Docs'

Aired March 24, 2003 - 07:40   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Straight out to the desert in Southern Iraq, somewhere in that country anyway, we find Dr. Sanjay Gupta embedded with the U.S. Marines. And Sanjay now joins us live for a very unique and exclusive look at what's happening on the Devil Docs' side of the military campaign.
Sanjay -- hello. Good afternoon.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good afternoon, Bill. No question about it, the Devil Docs, as they call themselves, they're the Navy guys who actually support the Marine Medical Corps.

We saw a very historic thing last night, Bill. We saw the first abdominal operation for a gunshot wound ever done by the Forward Resuscitative Surgical Suite. That is the surgical suite that actually supports the front line. We are here seeing what they do.

Last night, this is what I saw.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA: We are here just behind the front line in an FRSS -- Front Line Resuscitative Surgical Suite. Right behind me for the first time ever an operation has been done on the abdomen for a gunshot wound. It's the first time it has ever been done here at this Forward Resuscitative Surgical Suite.

Just to give you a sense. We're in the middle of the desert here. We're in a tent. Behind me is an operating room. There is a floor on the tent. There are double layers to the tent to try and keep this clean, try and keep this sterile.

The patient behind me interestingly is what is known as EPW -- an enemy prisoner of war. Now, the doctors here have an obligation to operate on enemy prisoners of war just as they do coalition forces. This particular patient, an enemy prisoner of war.

Now, all of the equipment as far as the surgical tools themselves are the same. They are brought over and put here in the desert. They obviously don't have some of the things that they would like to have, but they are able to do an operation that's very sophisticated. Again, a gunshot wound to the abdomen, a very sophisticated operation, and doing that very well here in the desert.

(END VIDEOTAPE) Yes, and another thing about this, which is really interesting, Bill, is that this entire suite -- and you can get glimpses of it -- is that it can be broken down and put back up in about two hours' time. They are completely mobile. The reason being that they actually move with the military as they go further and further north.

Bill -- back to you.

HEMMER: And, Sanjay, we know you've been with this group off and on for the past month, and I know they practice for procedure. But oftentimes it's difficult to get yourself ready for the emotional side, especially when casualties come in. We know there have been many in Southern Iraq over the past weekend. Reaction there has been what then by the doctors you're working with?

GUPTA: Well, I'll tell you the reaction here by the doctors is very much medical in the sense that their triage is very, very rote. They understand what they have to do. They do it, Bill.

The patient that came in last night was an EPW, a prisoner of war. That patient was operated on. The medical triage was no different for this particular patient than it would have been for a coalition force person or anybody else. They are very clear on that.

It is emotional, there is no question about it. This operation that you just saw, parts of it, came on the heels of many of the Marines here hearing about 4 Marines that had been captured -- 12 Marines that had been captured, 4 that been killed.

So it is emotional, but I think from a medical standpoint they're very clear, they do their job, they do it quickly. That patient's operation was very successful -- Bill.

HEMMER: Thank you, Doctor -- Dr. Sanjay Gupta embedded with the U.S. Marines in Iraq.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.






Aired March 24, 2003 - 07:40   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Straight out to the desert in Southern Iraq, somewhere in that country anyway, we find Dr. Sanjay Gupta embedded with the U.S. Marines. And Sanjay now joins us live for a very unique and exclusive look at what's happening on the Devil Docs' side of the military campaign.
Sanjay -- hello. Good afternoon.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good afternoon, Bill. No question about it, the Devil Docs, as they call themselves, they're the Navy guys who actually support the Marine Medical Corps.

We saw a very historic thing last night, Bill. We saw the first abdominal operation for a gunshot wound ever done by the Forward Resuscitative Surgical Suite. That is the surgical suite that actually supports the front line. We are here seeing what they do.

Last night, this is what I saw.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA: We are here just behind the front line in an FRSS -- Front Line Resuscitative Surgical Suite. Right behind me for the first time ever an operation has been done on the abdomen for a gunshot wound. It's the first time it has ever been done here at this Forward Resuscitative Surgical Suite.

Just to give you a sense. We're in the middle of the desert here. We're in a tent. Behind me is an operating room. There is a floor on the tent. There are double layers to the tent to try and keep this clean, try and keep this sterile.

The patient behind me interestingly is what is known as EPW -- an enemy prisoner of war. Now, the doctors here have an obligation to operate on enemy prisoners of war just as they do coalition forces. This particular patient, an enemy prisoner of war.

Now, all of the equipment as far as the surgical tools themselves are the same. They are brought over and put here in the desert. They obviously don't have some of the things that they would like to have, but they are able to do an operation that's very sophisticated. Again, a gunshot wound to the abdomen, a very sophisticated operation, and doing that very well here in the desert.

(END VIDEOTAPE) Yes, and another thing about this, which is really interesting, Bill, is that this entire suite -- and you can get glimpses of it -- is that it can be broken down and put back up in about two hours' time. They are completely mobile. The reason being that they actually move with the military as they go further and further north.

Bill -- back to you.

HEMMER: And, Sanjay, we know you've been with this group off and on for the past month, and I know they practice for procedure. But oftentimes it's difficult to get yourself ready for the emotional side, especially when casualties come in. We know there have been many in Southern Iraq over the past weekend. Reaction there has been what then by the doctors you're working with?

GUPTA: Well, I'll tell you the reaction here by the doctors is very much medical in the sense that their triage is very, very rote. They understand what they have to do. They do it, Bill.

The patient that came in last night was an EPW, a prisoner of war. That patient was operated on. The medical triage was no different for this particular patient than it would have been for a coalition force person or anybody else. They are very clear on that.

It is emotional, there is no question about it. This operation that you just saw, parts of it, came on the heels of many of the Marines here hearing about 4 Marines that had been captured -- 12 Marines that had been captured, 4 that been killed.

So it is emotional, but I think from a medical standpoint they're very clear, they do their job, they do it quickly. That patient's operation was very successful -- Bill.

HEMMER: Thank you, Doctor -- Dr. Sanjay Gupta embedded with the U.S. Marines in Iraq.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.