Today was the final surgical day for Team Hope in Motion at The Obras Sociales Del Hermano Pedro Hospital in Antigua. A total of 16 cases were completed consisting of 12 knee cases, 2 hip cases and 2 foot and ankle cases, bringing the total to 65 cases for the entire mission. The team was functioning as a well-oiled machine, finishing the surgical day very strong.
As usual, the workout crew did a HIIT workout at 5:15 a.m. and were nourished with a delicious breakfast followed by an inspiring message from Gavin. A cloudy sky covered the tops of the surrounding volcanic peaks, obscuring any volcanic activity that might have been taking place. Today the entrance of Obras was congested with local citizens seeking medical treatment and their friends and families providing comfort.
Today was knee day with the majority of cases being for total knee replacements. The two hip procedures were done by Dr. Keith with one for a 23 year-old female who had congenital hip dysplasia, leaving her left leg about two inches short compared to her right one. She now has a functioning hip joint and her left leg is very close to the same length as her right one. Drs. Klaasen, Lombardi and Mike Berend teamed up to reduce the amount of knee arthritis in Guatemala by installing total knees. The last two foot and ankle patients were carefully reconstructed giving those patients the ability to ambulate more freely and greatly improve their quality of life.
On the hospital floor, the patients took turns walking and climbing stairs while supervised by the physical therapy team. Most of the Team HIM Physical Therapy team are very youthful looking and were receiving advice from some of the elderly patients on subjects like respecting their parents and their elders. Most of the patients had a family member or friend at their bedside who were patiently sitting with them while their bodies recovered from the surgery. Time after time patients described their anticipation and sometimes arduous journey they made to receive their implant or, corrective surgery, and how incredibly thankful they were for the work done by Team HIM to improve their lives so they could go back to a productive life.
At the end of the day, all the instruments and unused implants were packed up by the implant team. Special thanks to Zimmer Biomet for supplying the implants and instruments needed to perform a wide variety of sizes for primary and revision hip and knee procedures performed during the week. Also, a big thanks to Adam Griner, Jenn Molinda and Stu Allen from Zimmer Biomet for organizing the equipment during the week and getting the needed implants to the operating rooms at the right time.
An 11 year-old girl, Sealy, was born with club foot that has developed into a severe deformity on her right side. She has had two prior surgeries, one at 18 months and one at 4 years to attempt to correct the club foot with very little success. Since that time she has been living with a very painful condition that has brought her social stigma along with the more obvious physical constraints. Dr. Herbst and Dr. Knecht were able to perform a major correction to her right foot and she currently has a cast that will allow her body to hold her foot in a more normal position while healing takes place to help her maintain her improved foot position. Sealy and her mother were very grateful to have the procedure and cognizant of how liberating this will be for her life. She will have a more normal childhood during her school years and infinitely improve her occupational potential. Just one more patient who has been profoundly touched by Team Hope in Motion.
Tomorrow, I will present one final patient profile and touch on various activities done by the team in the Antigua area before returning to their family and regular jobs back in the US.
Respectfully submitted
John White
To support this team and their commitment to our patient’s visit:
