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Comfort Faces Different War

Navy NewStand

Story Number: NNS030423-24
Release Date: 4/24/2003 2:02:00 AM

By Journalist Seaman Erica Mater, USNS Comfort Public Affairs

ABOARD USNS COMFORT, At Sea (NNS) -- Since March 20, Comfort has performed more than 450 surgical procedures during Operation Enduring/Iraqi Freedom.

That's nearly 130 more than the number of surgical procedures Comfort performed during Operation Desert Shield/Storm.

While those numbers might not be staggering, they should be kept in perspective. During Operation Desert Shield/Storm, Comfort was deployed to the region for a total of nine months, performing a total of 337 surgical procedures. This time, more than 450 surgeries have been performed in four weeks.

Although these numbers provide a comparison between both Iraqi conflicts, they are anything but the same for Comfort.

"You can't compare the two wars. It's like apples to oranges - you just can't," said Cmdr. Anne Diggs, head nurse of the intensive care units (ICU).

For Diggs and the intensive care unit staff, they are taking care of more critically wounded patients than in Operation Desert Shield/Storm. This includes a total of nine severely burned patients, which is the most Comfort's ICU has seen. In fact, most major burn units in the States have rarely taken in nine burn patients at one time.

With more than a decade between the two conflicts, the technology aboard Comfort has changed just as much as the wars are different.

In 1990-91, Comfort did not have the capabilities to perform angiograms. This time, there have been 30 angiograms performed on Comfort. An angiogram is a type of interventional radiology, which allows radiologists to view and repair blood vessels without having to make an incision.

"This procedure has undoubtedly saved some of our patients lives," said Capt. Jeffrey Georgia, an interventional radiologist aboard Comfort.

Radiology is another department that has surpassed the numbers from the last war. In 1990-91, Radiology performed a total of 1,240 radiographic studies, including 141 CT scans in nine months. This time, Comfort's radiology department has performed almost triple the number of radiographic studies and CT scans, with 3,026 and 311 respectively, all in four weeks time.

However, the medical field is not the only area where technology has changed. Communications has made vast improvements over the past decade. During Operation Desert Shield/Storm, the only way Sailors could communicate with family and friends back home was through regular mail. Now, Sailors can talk on telephones and send e-mail in real-time. There is also satellite television, which allows Sailors to see the news as it's happening.

"Last time, we only had two televisions without news capabilities. We had no e-mail," Diggs said. "It is totally amazing that we can keep up to date with e-mail and the news."

For ICU Nurse Lt. Cmdr. Mary Ann Brantley, this is nothing like the last time she was here.

"No deployment is ever the same, and this war is definitely not like the last one," Brantley said.

If there is one thing that is the same about Operation Desert Shield/Storm and Operation Enduring/Iraqi Freedom it is the care that has been provided to patients on Comfort.

"The best thing about Comfort is that we always provide the best quality care to to our patients. no matter who they are or where they come from," said Diggs.