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October 28,
2002
Last
September,
39-year-old Paul Severiano came
to a Canvasback orthopedic clinic
complaining of pain in his left arm. The arm had
been useless since a car accident fractured his arm seven
years ago. Upon examining him, the doctors found a
previous fracture that had healed improperly, leaving Paul
with constant pain and limited
mobility.
This is a
common situation in the islands, where traditional island
medicine
advocates massage therapy
for broken bones rather than going to the hospital. Other
orthopedic problems go untreated due to the lack of
supplies, equipment and training
to provide needed care.
Responding to the need, in September, 2002,
Canvasback
sent an orthopedic specialty
team to Pohnpei for a long waiting list of patients
needing joint
replacements, bone realignments, and other
orthopedic surgeries. The team
also provided in-hospital
consultation and outpatient clinics to
further assess the islandsą grave need for
orthopedic services.
In two short weeks the team was able to examine 165 patients
and
perform 15 complicated surgeries.
Here are just a few of the patients the team was
able to help:
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Paul Severiano
with surgeon Bob Wells |
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Faniger Poll, 11, was treated
for a dislocated knee. Her smile grew bigger each day as she
regained motion in her knee and began temporarily using crutches.
Before her discharge, Faniger had almost finished reading the
Bible we gave her. She was never seen without it!
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Faniger Poll with
team
coordinator Lauren Petford,RN |
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Catherine Ezra, 16, had been unable to
straighten her right arm for several years due to a malunion of
the bone. Dr. Wells was able to fix it, and is sure she will have
normal use of it in the future. Catherine is thrilled with the
idea of being "normal" again.
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Catherine
Ezra with team
leader
Bob Wells, MD and
George
Wiesseman, MD (rear) |
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Neither Dr.
Wells nor Dr. Wiesseman had ever seen such a difficult case
as Conrad Alfred, 35. After
dislocating his hip last New Year's Day,
he sought traditional massage therapy for treatment, and his hip
eventually healed out of joint. It took several hours to remove
scar tissue before the hip was successfully
reduced.
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Shown above is the old WWII hospital bed, jacked up on wood
crates, where Conrad was placed in traction prior to and following surgery.
The old beds are now being replace with new beds that were sent
in a container from the Alberta Adventist Community Services
Society. |
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Many years ago, Anthony Gumingrig had
fractured his lower leg in a motorcycle accident. A plate was
screwed to his left tibia to facilitate proper healing. Over
time, the screws worked their way out of the bone, as shown in
the
x-ray right.
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X-ray of plate in
Anthony's leg.
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In 1984, Anthony
developed an open sore in his shin and it had been draining ever
since. Dr. Wells was
able to remove the plate completely, and Anthony should make a
full recovery. |
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While
out driving one day, Lauren Petford and Donna Silsbee
physiotherapist saw a woman
hobbling down the road leaning on two big sticks. They
stopped and met Doris, giving her cab fare and a piece of paper with
instructions to come to the hospital. When Doris arrived the
next day, she traded in her sticks for a beautiful walker. It even
had brakes and a compartment to carry her belongings. She was overjoyed!
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Doris on the road (above) and
with Donna Silsbee (right)
after receiving her new walker. |
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Physiotherapist
Donna Silsbee
worked
side-by-side in the sweltering
heat with her Pohnpei counterpart Albert
Joseph teaching pre- and
post-op. exercises,
mobilizing joints
and instructing the families
of patients (who, incidentally, never leave their bedside.)
Albert and
Donna with
patient Elisita Johnny. |
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