In a significant development for humanitarian medical aid, the Canada Ukraine Surgical Aid Program has returned to Ukrainian soil for the first time since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. The fall 2025 mission marks a pivotal moment in restoring advanced surgical care within the country's borders.
A Landmark Return to Ukrainian Soil
After conducting medical missions in Poland for three years, the Canadian surgical team led by Dr. Oleh Antonyshyn successfully completed its 18th mission this autumn. The program, operating under the Canada-Ukraine Foundation, focused on providing complex reconstructive surgeries for Ukrainian veterans and civilians injured during the ongoing conflict.
Dr. Oleh Antonyshyn, the founder and surgical lead of CUSAP, expressed the emotional significance of the return. "To be back on Ukrainian soil, working side by side with our colleagues again, was profoundly meaningful," he stated. The surgical teams demonstrated remarkable efficiency, completing 52 major reconstructive operations and 88 consultations during the intensive 12-day mission.
Building Medical Capacity Through Partnership
The mission's success was built on strong collaborations with multiple institutions, including Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre from Canada, the Ukrainian Ministry of Health, the Lviv-Clinical Municipal Communal Emergency Hospital, and the Volyn Regional Clinical Hospital in Lutsk.
The comprehensive medical team included specialists across multiple disciplines:
- Orthopedics
- Reconstructive craniofacial surgery
- Neurosurgery
- Microsurgery
- Plastic surgery
- Anesthesia and nursing
Dr. Michelle Hladunewich emphasized the mission's broader purpose: "Our return to Ukraine isn't just about providing immediate surgical relief, it's about transferring knowledge and strengthening the systems that will support thousands of future patients who have survived devastating injuries."
Sustainable Impact Through Training and Funding
The fall 2025 missions were particularly notable for their advanced surgical work, including nine microsurgical free flap procedures, representing some of the most complex reconstructive techniques available. Each CUSAP mission incorporates extensive training components to ensure Ukrainian doctors can sustain these advanced techniques long after the Canadian teams depart.
Financial support played a crucial role in enabling this return to Ukraine. The Canada-Ukraine Foundation conducted a national fundraising campaign that raised over $1,000,000 CAD for medical programs. This substantial funding will allow CUSAP to plan additional missions addressing craniofacial and extremity post-trauma deformities in both civilian and military casualties.
Valeriy Kostyuk, Executive Director of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation, highlighted the significance of this achievement: "Returning CUSAP to Ukraine signals both trust and progress, proof that our collective efforts are helping rebuild the country's medical resilience."
Since its establishment in 2014 under Dr. Antonyshyn's leadership, CUSAP has now completed 18 surgical missions, treating thousands of patients and performing hundreds of reconstructive operations for victims of war, creating a lasting legacy of Canadian medical support for Ukraine.
