Patients are selected and first surgeries begin...
With most of the team having arrived on Thursday, the Operation Walk Pittsburgh team kicked off their efforts with the screening clinic Friday morning. The well-organized clinic was assisted by local medical students and hospital staff, which allowed the team to screen 76 patients in just over 2 hours.
During case review the medical team presented each case and ultimately selected 55 patients to undergo surgery in the upcoming days. “Turning away patients is always the hardest part of any trip,” says Team Leader Thomas Hoffman. However, since Honduras is now an official Operation Walk location, many of these patients will be treated during future trips, which ease that process for the team, patients, and family members. Those who were selected showed their excitement and gratitude knowing they would soon by Granted the Wish to Walk.
While the screening clinic team members visited with patients, the operating room team was worked hard to finish preparations for yesterday’s kickoff cases. The first four surgeries were successfully performed Friday evening, setting the tone for what comes next as over 50 joint replacements will be completed in the next three days.
What’s new at Hospital Bendana?
Since the Operation Walk Pittsburgh team visited San Pedro Sula last year, a large capacity sterilizer was purchased by Operation Walk to support the hospital and future teams that visit Honduras. The sterilizer has met all expectation and the team is confident this year’s trip will accomplish new heights in the days to come. “Such a large infrastructure investment underlines the commitment Operation Walk Pittsburgh has to our patients and also the continued improvement of care in the countries we visit,” says Hoffman.
To see more pictures and follow the Operation Walk Pittsburgh team's progress, visit: https://www.operationwalkpgh.org/Mission%20trips/honduras-2013.
