The international delegation, headed by Ana Lucía Bueno, ICRC Public Health Coordinator, and Sujit Panda, Head of the Physical Rehabilitation…
Senior Lieutenant of the Medical Service Oleh Hridin is an oral surgeon at one of the medical facilities of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. He has repeatedly undergone rotations in the south of the country, including in Kherson, where he worked not only as a dental surgeon but also assisted general surgeons.
His story was published on the SBGS website.
Oleh Hridin has been in medicine for 17 years, six of them in military service. Within the Defense Forces, he worked as a dental surgeon and assistant maxillofacial surgeon, participating in surgeries together with colleagues from other military medical institutions.
“It was the realities of working in combat conditions that ultimately shaped him as a maxillofacial surgeon — a specialist working at the intersection of dentistry, surgery, and traumatology”, — the SBGS wrote.
During his first deployment to Kherson, the officer had to perform surgical procedures on both civilians and soldiers, including during the tragic events following the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant. One case stood out in particular — a wounded woman with a severe facial injury.
According to border guards, it was his first experience of extremely rapid and well-coordinated teamwork, where every minute counted. Many rotations followed, but one especially stood out — a long, three-month period of uninterrupted work. Kherson, the dentist says, became a true school of professional growth for him.
“There are no specialty divisions there — everyone helps everyone. If there aren’t enough hands, you work wherever you’re needed most”, — he said.
In a single night, the team could perform from 2 to 9 surgeries, especially during mass casualty arrivals. And this was on top of constant patient intake. Days off or fixed shifts simply did not exist.
“Oleh Hridin assisted in operations on abdominal organs and blood vessels, worked alongside traumatologists, removed fragments, and took part in limb amputations. This experience taught him the most important things — to work with a cool head, to trust the team, and to value time, because it often determines the patient’s fate”, — the border guards reported.
After returning from rotation, the doctor combines scheduled, outpatient, and inpatient care: dental treatment, prosthetics, and working with wounded soldiers at the stage of recovery after first aid.
A special place in his practice is held by complex clinical cases. One of them involved treating a severely wounded patient with an extremely serious facial injury who underwent several surgeries. Due to the complexity and severity of the trauma, the wound did not heal for a long time.
“In this case, VAC therapy was used on the facial area for the first time in the region — a modern wound-treatment method involving a special vacuum system that removes fluid, reduces inflammation, and significantly accelerates healing. In dental practice, this method is extremely rare and requires exceptional skill and experience”, — the SBGS explained.
Today, the officer’s workspace is equipped with a modern dental unit, high-quality materials, instruments, and medications, allowing him to provide advanced medical care.
For Oleh Hridin, dentistry is not just about teeth. It is about quality of life, recovery, and faith in victory. He is convinced that patients leave not only with healthier smiles but also with a sense of support and care.
