Screening Day!

We are lucky to have good buddies at San Rafael who help us throughout the year. Dr. William Vasquez is an orthopedic surgeon in San Salvador who traveled for a mini fellowship with Hofmann Arthritis Institute in Salt Lake City a few years back. He performs the pre-screening for us, getting a list of people who are good candidates, doing their initial consult, and taking radiographs.

Our pre team saw eight patients on Friday morning while the rest of the team was stuck in traffic, as we wanted to get a head start on surgery Saturday. The hospital is much quieter on the weekends (for obvious reasons), and we're allowed to use three operating rooms instead of the two we're given during the week.

Waiting to be screened

Patients line up in the morning, many of them with family members, but a few on their own, having traveled quite some distance. Screening teams are assembled with a hospitalist (a general practitioner or internal medicine doctor), an anesthesiologist, an orthopedic surgeon, and a physician assistant. Nurses and physical therapists aid the process, and patients have their picture taken for their chart. Each patient is given a score based on medical need and physical health; we want these patients to be successful in surgeon and afterward. We only bring supplies for primary hip and knee replacements in order to keep the surgeries simple and the results positive. The surgeons in El Salvador are more than capable of handling trauma cases involving plates, screws, and nails, but usually don't have access to joint replacement necessities such as power equipment or implants.

Potential patients

Conducting clinic is the most heartbreaking part of our trip. We come up with a list a final candidates, and we are satisfied we have met everyone's needs. And then we realize that we have a solid list of 72 people and the capacity to handle 60-65. How do you choose?

Drs. Aaron Hofmann (UT) and Trevor Magee (UT) show a patient her radiograph 

CRNA Robert (OK) helps a patient into a room

Drs. Ken Mathis (TX) and Brian Dahl (UT) examine radiographs

**Thanks to volunteer photographer Eric for providing amazing photos throughout the week**