Operation Walk Utah Performs 60 Joint Replacement Surgeries Abroad at No Cost to Patients
Salt Lake City, UT (PRWEB) November 21, 2013 -- Operation Walk Utah, a private, not-for-profit volunteer medical service chapter of the national Operation Walk, recently traveled to El Salvador on its sixth medical mission to provide no-cost total hip and knee replacement surgeries to patients in the most critical need. A team of 39 medical volunteers, including orthopedic surgeons, physical therapists, nurses, surgical and medical assistants, and administrative supporting staff, arrived in El Salvador on November 1, 2013 and completed all surgeries and follow-up care by November 7. Sixty Salvadoran citizens were approved for surgery by the Operation Walk Utah team based on current health status and the immediate need for medical treatment.
The Operation Walk Utah team met with one Salvadoran patient named Luis. He is a middle-aged family man who owned a successful restaurant in a popular tourist spot in El Salvador. Luis was afflicted with congenital hip dysplasia, which was exasperated after sustaining a critical injury from an accident. Luis could no longer stand, walk, or work without pain and difficulty, and he eventually lost his business. Upon hearing the news that he was selected to be one of sixty patients receiving surgical treatment from Operation Walk Utah, Luis broke into tears. The medical staff surgically corrected the disproportion between Luis’ right and left leg, and, after receiving follow-up care, he left the hospital in good condition.
Aaron Hofmann, M.D., board-certified orthopedic surgeon, founder of Operation Walk Utah, and director of the Center for Precision Joint Replacement at Salt Lake Regional Medical Center and Hofmann Arthritis Institute, has led the Utah volunteer medical team since 2007. All expenses of treatment, including surgery, hospitalization, and post-operative care, are covered by Operation Walk Utah’s medical staff and monetary contributions from various donors. All implants were donated by Zimmer Inc. in Warsaw, Indiana and Total Joint Orthopedics in Salt Lake City, Utah.
“Since our first mission to El Salvador, Operation Walk Utah’s dedication has only grown stronger, as we see the need for help year after year,” says Hofmann. “Every person we are fortunate enough to meet and potentially help becomes a reminder of why these medical missions are important. No one deserves to live a life with constant pain and immobility from degenerative diseases or injuries. It is our duty and honor to make physical improvements in a patient so the quality of his or her life strengthens.”
In addition to providing surgical treatment abroad, Operation Walk Utah also gives back to those in need locally. This December, the Operation Walk Utah team plans to select a group of people from Utah and surrounding areas who are eligible for a no-cost total hip or knee replacement surgery. For more information, visit http://www.operationwalkutah.org.
About Operation Walk Utah
Operation Walk Utah is a private, not-for-profit volunteer medical service chapter of the national organization, Operation Walk. All chapters of Operation Walk provide free surgical treatment to patients with debilitating arthritis or other bone and joint conditions in developing countries and the United States. Operation Walk has established an international presence and continues to grow. All medical supplies and equipment are provided through donations, and the entire medical team on staff volunteers its time.
About the Center for Precision Joint Replacement at Salt Lake Regional
The Center for Precision Joint Replacement at Salt lake Regional provides minimally invasive, highly advanced joint replacement surgeries using MAKOplasty® robotic technology to patients with arthritis and other join conditions. For more information about the Center, call 866-431-WELL.
About the Hofmann Arthritis Institute
The Hofmann Arthritis Institute provides advanced non-surgical and surgical treatment options to patients with arthritis. The medical team combines the latest surgical techniques and technology with specialized surgeons to bring about the best possible clinical outcomes. For more information about Hofmann Arthritis Institute, call 801-35-JOINT.
Melinda Meier, FUEL Marketing, +1 (801) 484-2888, [email protected]
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