Page 49 - CASA Bulletin of Anesthesiology 2019 Issue 1

Things continued to move along very well. The only unfortunate events were that three patients had a positive urine culture (active UTI). Therefore, all three patients were dropped out from our original lists. By day 5, we did total 21 TKA. All surgeries went uneventful, and patients recovered really well.
Day 6
We packed up all of our equipment, medication and instruments. We left quite a bit of medications, and other anesthesia supplies with our local anesthesia department. The local hospital staff, nurses and doctors came by to show their gratitude and wish us come back again. As I was walking and exploring this hospital, a random security guard stopped me. First I was nervous because of the language barrier; however, with my minimal Spanish and her broken English, I understand that she wanted to say thank you to the American doctor for coming to her country to help the local people.
This security guard’s words had big impact on me. Before I took this trip, I worked as an anesthesiologist in a teaching hospital. I never did any mission work except for the occasional lectures in China. This trip, all these 21 surgeries could be just another day of work for me except it was in Honduras, a dangerous third world country. However, it was a life-changing event for our 20 patients. Because of our mission work, our surgery, they can walk straight again. It relieved their suffering, their agony and gave them their lives back, not only to them, but also to their families. Her words made me realize how important my work to them and how much joy I have brought them.
We had some time off after finishing packing up in the hospital. The local doctors brought us to a local resort for some relaxing time before heading back to US.
This was a life-changing mission to all of our patients. In the follow up appointment with Dr. Juan Carlos, all patients had healed really well. They completed their physical therapy sessions. All patients are off the pain medication (they were sent home on Tylenol and some tramadol). No complications were reported from any of the patients. They finally got their life back, and most of them are working again.
This mission is an eye-opening experience for me. I saw how people in a third world country live and get their medical treatment. Most of us had the same reason why we went to medical school: to help those who need us; to relieve people’s suffering; and to advance our medical knowledge and research, etc. For many years I have been doing that. But this mission work showed me that there were a lot more people out there who need our help. I was able to give them back what I can do now.
Vol.6, No.1,2019
49