Dr. Andrew Selzman, our team urologist has had a full surgery schedule every day. Sebastian, a 72 year-old man from Zawayae who has been using a catheter for over 14 months, traveled over 4 hours to Antigua to see a doctor at The Obras Sociales del Hermano Pedro. Dr. Selzman performed a TURP (TransUrethral Resection of the Prostate), which will allow Sebastian to live without a catheter and resume normal activities. Although, this is a fairly routine surgery in the United States, I have come to understand that nothing is routine in Guatemala. Since the pandemic, all “elective” surgery in Guatemala has been canceled and these people have had even less access to healthcare than they did before.
The OR nurses, anesthesia team, and scrub techs make all the surgeries possible and work together to make sure things run smoothly, even in this foreign environment. Dr. Fowler, our lead anesthesiologist said, “He is amazed at Dr. Selzman’s surgical skills and glad to be on his team.”
Sebastian told the team “God will bless you and your whole family.” He is all smiles and is grateful for his new life and to be able to return to his work in the fields.
