ROSEMONT, IL--(Marketwire - July 29, 2009) - An initial fact-finding trip in 2001 to
explore the possibility of treating disabled children and landmine victims
in Vietnam has grown into an ongoing, annual expedition for members of the
American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society's
(AOFAS) Overseas Outreach Project to Vietnam. The AOFAS
surgeons have recently returned from their eighth mission to aid the
children and adults of Vietnam, an experience that affords the opportunity
to do something truly special for others. During these eight years,
hundreds of Vietnamese patients have received needed corrective surgeries
and 24 AOFAS members have had the honor of participating as volunteers.
The project brings national and international orthopaedic foot and ankle
surgeons on a visit that pools surgical techniques formerly only available
in large western hospitals to outlying provinces in northern Vietnam. Built
on early relationships with the Seattle-based Prosthetics Outreach
Foundation (POF), and its links with the Vietnamese government, the AOFAS
Overseas Outreach Project is funded through corporate and member
contributions to its
Outreach & Education Fund (OEF) and a cost
share by POF.
Over the span of this important initiative, surgery has been performed
without charge on more than 530 children and adults with deformities and
disabilities. Due to cost and a lack of training of Vietnamese surgeons,
most of these patients would not have received care and corrective
surgery. AOFAS members volunteer their time, pay their own way, and gain
much professional and personal satisfaction, while building the surgical
skills of the Vietnamese surgeons.
Participating in this year's project were Mark P. Slovenkai, MD, of
Chestnut Hill, MA, Ruth L. Thomas, MD, of Little Rock, AR, João de Carvalho
Neto, MD, of São Paulo, Brazil, Naomi N. Shields, MD, of Wichita, KS,
Pierce E. Scranton, MD, of Kirkland, WA and AOFAS Executive Director
Lousanne Lofgren. The group included first-time participants and seasoned
project veterans. AOFAS volunteers worked side by side in the operating
rooms with Vietnamese orthopaedic surgeons, thus sharing knowledge and
building relationships with colleagues on the other side of the world.
Surgery was performed in orthopaedic rehabilitation facilities located in
the coastal city of Vinh, south of Hanoi, Ba Vi, a village west of Hanoi,
Hai Phong, Vietnam's third largest city, and Thai Nguyen, a village north
of Hanoi. Families, many from outlying villages, greeted the surgeons
warmly and waited patiently hoping that their children would be selected
for surgery. These experiences left an indelible impression on the AOFAS
surgeons.
Dr. Slovenkai said, "This was probably the most rewarding experience I have
had as a surgeon. In northern Vietnam, I saw deformities I only read about
twenty years ago: polio and untreated clubfoot. I wore surgical gowns too
short, shoes too small, and I was physically hot and wet for two weeks.
Vietnam was unforgettable."
"I wanted to challenge myself, experience the cultural differences, and
teach. In the process I gained understanding and was changed myself. The
doctors are able to do much under challenging conditions, and the
Vietnamese are warm, hard-working people. I would like to go again," said
Dr. Neto.
Completing her 4th mission to Vietnam, Dr. Thomas commented, "The
Vietnamese surgeons helped me to understand how operations that we choose
for specific conditions in the US, i.e. tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis and
FHL transfers for chronic Achilles tendonitis aren't necessarily
appropriate for the Vietnamese population. Together we chose better
alternatives and then worked side by side to accomplish our surgical goal."
For patients whose best treatment plan is amputation, the POF provides a
prosthesis free-of-charge and ongoing follow-up services to patients
treated in this program. This allows many of these young children and
adults to return to society able to care for themselves and their families.
Dr. Shields, also an experienced member of the mission, said, "The
Vietnamese orthopaedic surgeons are very resourceful and work with less
technology than is common in our own operating rooms. The surgeons there
are eager to learn and try to provide the best possible care within their
means."
The AOFAS members also spent time seeing patients in the clinic and
performing surgeries with the local orthopedic surgeons at Viet Duc
Hospital, the major teaching institution in Hanoi. Another important part
of the outreach project is an educational conference in Hanoi co-sponsored
by the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society, the Prosthetics Outreach
Foundation, and Viet Doc Hospital. This year's conference, the 7th Annual
Seminar on Surgery of the Lower Extremity, brought together more than 170
Vietnamese orthopaedic surgeons and medical professionals and included
presentations by Vietnamese orthopaedic surgeons and the AOFAS surgical
team members.
Moreover, the project identified a need for an early detection and
treatment program for children with clubfoot to avoid costly and difficult
corrective surgery for older children with neglected clubfoot. Under the
leadership of AOFAS member and past POF President Robert G. Veith, MD, who
participated in several AOFAS-POF surgical missions to Vietnam, POF
established a Ponseti treatment program in Vietnam. This program now serves
children with clubfoot in four Vietnamese provinces.
Dr. Scranton was recognized in Vinh City with a medallion presented by the
People's Committee of Nghe An Province. It was an expression of
appreciation for his work in starting the AOFAS project in 2002. Reflecting
on his own experience, Dr. Scranton said, "I came to Vietnam to share
western technology, teach and treat the disabled. In return, the Vietnamese
taught me about their culture, their own Vietnamese way of operating, and
their philosophy of life. In coming to change Vietnam, I myself was
changed."
For additional information or to find an AOFAS orthopaedic surgeon in your
area, go to
www.aofas.org.
About AOFAS
The AOFAS promotes quality, ethical and cost-effective patient care through
education, research and training of orthopaedic surgeons and other health
care providers. It creates public awareness for the prevention and
treatment of foot and ankle disorders, provides leadership, and serves as a
resource for government, industry and the national and international health
care community.
About Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Surgeons
Orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeons are medical doctors (MD and DO) who
specialize in the diagnosis, care, and treatment of patients with disorders
of the musculoskeletal system of the foot and ankle. This includes the
bones, joints, ligaments, muscles tendons, nerves, and skin. Orthopaedic
foot and ankle surgeons use medical, physical, and rehabilitative methods
as well as surgery to treat patients of all ages. They perform
reconstructive procedures, treat sports injuries, and manage and treat
trauma of the foot and ankle.
Orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeons work with physicians of many other
specialties, including internal medicine, pediatrics, vascular surgery,
endocrinology, radiology, anesthesiology, and others. Medical school
curriculum and post-graduate training provides the solid clinical
background necessary to recognize medical problems, admit patients to a
hospital when necessary, and contribute significantly to the coordination
of care appropriate for each patient.
Education
AOFAS members have the following credentials:
-- Completed four years of medical school. The curriculum covers basic
and clinical sciences, surgery, internal medicine, pediatrics, family
medicine and all other medical specialties.
-- Completed five years of accredited graduate medical education
(residency training) in orthopaedic surgery.
-- Many orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeons also complete advanced
fellowship training in foot and ankle surgery.
-- Satisfactory completion of the national medical licensing examination.
-- Continuing medical education credits over a specific time period.
-- Board certification: Certified by or eligible for examination and
certification by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery or the American
Osteopathic Board of Orthopedic Surgery.
-- Each member must hold membership in the American Academy of
Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).
When selecting a medical provider to care for your feet and ankles, be sure
to ask him/her about:
-- Medical school education
-- Accredited residency training
-- Areas of practice specialization
-- Experience in your prescribed treatment (surgical and/or non-surgical)
About POF
The Prosthetics Outreach Foundation (POF), based in Seattle, Washington, is
a leader in orthopedic rehabilitation in developing countries. POF creates
opportunities for children and adults in developing countries who suffer
from limb loss and deformities to lead more fulfilling lives. POF
emphasizes local capacity building through the training of medical
professionals in developing countries and the transfer of technologies that
foster the local fabrication of mobility devices and their components. To
learn more about POF, please visit
http://www.pofsea.org/.
To view this release in a media-rich format, go to:
http://www.pwrnewmedia.com/2009/aofas90728/index.html
Contact Information: For more information, contact:
Judy Datz
Communications Manager
847-384-4379