Trip Report From Orthopod David Wood, MD

David Wood is an orthopaedic surgeon who is the Director of Arrowback Medical Group in Colton, California.  Dr Wood has made numerous volunteer trips in the past to South America, Mexico, and Cuba.  He recently spent a week working at Hopital Adventiste and posted a few of his reflections.

It has been a while since my trip to Haiti however, I have continued to follow the progress being made at Hopital Adventiste and look getting back soon.  I wanted to add a few new points and reiterate a few of the old.

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES

It is easy to forget the huge amount of effort that occurs behind the scenes to make these trip possible.

Scott Nelson, MD is known far and wide and the legends are all true.  He can operate with one eye closed and make diagnoses in his sleep.  The level of care that he provides here with the Taylor spatial frames, clubfoot deformity correction, and rotational osteotomies is found only in the most advanced Centers of Orthopaedic Excellence back home.  His perserverance and skills have made Hopital Adventiste the go to place for advanced musculoskeletal care back home.

Hospital Administrators are not the first ones we think about with mission disasters but without the likes of Andrew Haglund and the Central Supply and Maintenance team of get-it-for-guys Bob Chase, Dan Patchin, and Jerry Northrup, most of what we do couldn't happen.

The surgeon trip reports talk about the number of surgeries performed and patients seen in the clinic but none of it would have occurred without the backup we take for granted.

HOPE FOR THE BEST BUT PREPARE FOR THE WORST

I have been on a lot of mission trips, mostly to Latin America...the area is familiar to me and I can speak the language.  Just before I left for Haiti I heard about the Doctors Sans Borders killing and the looting.  When I got there, my fears were alleviated by the high level of security present in the Compound.

I did take a trip to see the countryside but my Guide was an armed off-duty police officer.  My visits included a seaside resort where life is slowly getting back to normal.

I also visited other aid agencies such as Doctors Without Borders and the European Red Cross.  Dr Hugo, a General Surgeon from Argentina showed me around Red Cross Compound.  The European Red Cross has these camps that are ready to transport to areas of need.  They include inflatible hopital wards,

operating theaters,

living quarters,

and transport vehicles.

The unit above was set up in the regional soccer field and was surrounded by tent cities.   This arrangement works great on a short-term basis but is not optimal for long-term care.

Although there is a lot of good equipment at Hopital Adventiste, you should bring specialty items that you may want or need ortherwise you probably will have to do without.

Sleeping quarters are adventuresome.  Either cots covered with mosquito neeting or a tent.  For the more metro missionary people, I "took one" for the team and stayed the last couple of days at the Hotel Auberge de Quebec...air conditioning, real beds but unfortunately full most of the time.

YOU GET MORE THAN YOU GIVE

As with any things in life, this experience gave me a lot more than I ever thought.  One major thing was seeing how fractures healed up without surgery.  In the United States, we don't get to see untreated fracture.  I am always surprise at the bodies' resilience and ability to heal.

Since there were five of us orthopods and one general surgeon, I helped out in the general surgery clinic.  Even I was able to diagnose and reduce this hernia! 

When I returned from the trip, I was much less flustered by the everyday trials of my practice.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A MOUNTAIN

For the doctors going, don't forget to take all of the people who make you look good.  I would suggest at a minimum, and OR nurse, physical therapist, and someone to keep the team fed an watered.  We had the followers of the Supreme Master Ching Hai at the hospital during our stay.  They fed us great vegan meals two times a day...what a difference that made.

CONCLUSION

To have food and water and the ability to do the Lord's work in your chosen profession...it doesn't get any better than that!

Keep encouraging your colleagues to volunteer and please continue to donate your time and money.