Prior Missions - Photographs and Travelogue
Surgical
The Anal Stenosis Project
Elliott Brender
Born February 25th, 1946, Dr. Brender was a graduate of SUNY at Buffalo School of Medicine in June 1970. After completing a year of surgical internship at New York Hospital – Cornell Medical Center, he was drafted and spent 6 months as commanding officer, 37th Medical Company, Phu Loi, Vietnam and 6 months as Chief Emergency Services, 3rd Field Hospital, Saigon. On return to the United States he was Chief Emergency Services, Letterman General Hospital, San Francisco. After completion of his military duties he returned to complete a Surgical Residency at Mt. Zion Hospital, San Francisco in 1977. In 1985 he moved to Orange County, California where he practiced general surgery until 2003 when he retired. During this period he was Chief of Surgery multiple times and Chief of Staff of Garden Grove Hospital. Since his retirement he has been doing volunteer surgery in Cambodia. He is a Clinical Professor of Surgery at the University of California Irvine School of Medicine. In April 2016 he founded Surgeons for Cambodia, Inc., a non-profit corporation dedicated to improving surgical care in Cambodia. Dr. Brender is a member of the Villa Park Rotary Club. In April 2018 he established the Dr. Brender's American Surgical clinic at the Khmer Soviet Friendship Hospital.
Theavy Mok, MD
Born April 3rd, 1963, he is the first plastic surgeon in Cambodia. He received his medical doctorate in 1990 from the University of Health Sciences, Phnom Penh. Since then he has worked in the general surgery department at the Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital. Starting in 2002, Dr. Theavy has served as Medical Director of Operation Smile Cambodia. In 2007, Dr. Theavy was awarded the Royal Government of Cambodia's Gold Medal of Work for his efforts to develop human resources in Cambodia through teaching and in 2009 he was awarded the Bronze Medal for his collaborative projects with international NGOs, medical professionals and the Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital. Also in 2009, Dr. Theavy was honored with the first ever International Observer Fellowship awarded by the Canadian Society of Plastic Surgeons. In 2014, Dr. Theavy assembled medical professionals of plastic reconstructive surgeons and established the Cambodian Society of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery. He also started the first Plastic Residency Program at University of Health Sciences with the approval from Ministry of Health. Currently, Dr. Theavy is a deputy director of Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital.
William Brender, MD, FACS
Born September 29, 1951, William Brender, MD, FACS, graduated medical school at New York Medical College, New York in 1973. He did his surgical residency at Mt. Zion Hospital in San Francisco and finished in 1982. He entered the plastic surgery program at Albany Medical Center and finished in 1984. He is board certified in general surgery, plastic surgery, with a special certification in hand surgery.
​
He was the first chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery at Glens Falls Hospital, Director of their 6 bed burn unit and chairman of the Medical Education committee.
​
In 1996, as part of People to People program, He joined a team of plastic surgeons that went to Albania and Russia. He created the first Day Surgical Unit. In 2008 again with People to People he joined the mission to Vietnam and Cambodia. He brought Cambodia’s first portable C-arm to allow the repair of hand fractures under local and regional anesthesia.
Ratana Ban, Cambodian Coordinator
Born 25th September, 1980, In 1997 she graduated Preah Yuk Konthor High School certified in Marketing. In 2001 she received her Bachelor Degree in Computer Science at Royal University of Phnom Penh. She is certified in Word & Excel.
​
Her latest job was 18 April – 03 September, 2016: as Mission Coordinator at Smile Cambodia. Prior to this she was a patient records manager for Smile Cambodia. Smile Cambodia is run by Dr. Theavy Mok. She is now officially our Cambodian Coordinator for Surgeons for Cambodia, Inc. She may be reached via e-mail @ ratana.ban2011@gmail.com.