Haiti. The Pharmacy. Mission. Making a dent?

We are just finishing our third full day of clinic here in Haiti. My son and I are here with 13 others volunteering this week.
The people are wonderful, and the team is working well together.
I have seen just a couple of spinal deformity patients, but have stayed very busy helping out w general ortho, pediatrics, medicine and simple gyn.

Saw a woman who was shot 3 months ago w bullet still behind shoulder blade, lots of sick young kids w diarrhea or ear infections or worms. Lots of adults w diabetes and hypertension and a need for glasses.

Many have irritated eyes from the dust that is everywhere, and smoke.

We have seen 629 patients total w over 200 per day the last couple days.

My son said he was "out of his comfort zone" the first night.

I don't think he is alone. Include me for one.

Its good to get out of your comfort zone sometimes to serve in different ways with different people in new places.

There is much need here in Haiti, as in many other places in the world.

It sometimes feels like you can hardly make a dent, driving around the crowded bumpy streets. But when a patient, young or old, squeezes my hand and smiles as they get up to leave for pharmacy, and says "Merci", then we can measure change in one precious life at a time.


Lloyd A. Hey, MD MS

David checking vital signs in Haiti. Here for week on medical mission

Brittney's Scoliosis Surgery June 9 2008 w/ Dr. Lloyd Hey

Brittney is 14 and is from eastern North Carolina, and has had a severe progressive thoracolumbar scoliosis.
I performed corrective thoracolumbar instrumentation and fusion surgery for her on June 9, and she is now home, doing well.
Her X-Rays pre and postop are shown above, and show an excellent correction of both curves.
Her postoperative trunk shape from both the front, and side and back views shows a very noticable improvement that Brittney and her parents and family noticed right away.
Her surgery took about 3 hours, and was performed without any blood transfusions.
No ICU stay was needed.
She spent 3 nights in the hospital, with her family.

Her mom told me a funny story after surgery that I will share quickly.
After surgery, we always share the before and after X-Rays with the family.
The patient’s dad brought the X-Rays home, and took them to work to show his boss, Joe.
His boss at the military base saw “Hey Clinic” on the X-Ray, and asked if that was “Lloyd Hey”.
Brittney’s dad told him “Yes it is... How would you know that?”
Joe told Brittney’s dad that he had grown up next door to me (Dr. Hey) when I was just a few years old, and used to play in sandbox with me!
It is a very small world.


Get well soon, Brittney!

Lloyd A Hey, MD MS
http://www.heyclinic.com
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery
Raleigh, NC USA

Note:  Hey Clinic repects the privacy of all of our guests.  We also know that it is good to share and to allow others to learn through this Blog, website and talks.  Brittney and her parents have given their permission to share this blog information and pictures for their friends and family and other Hey Clinic Blog visitors to see, prior to Brittney’s discharge from the hospital.  They are also empowered to make additions or any changes or deletions they wish.

18 yo Emily gets very straight after scoliosis surgery this week

This past Tuesday, Emily from western North Carolina came to see us with her family to get her double curve scoliosis straightened up.
As shown in photos above, she got an excellent correction of her double curve scoliosis.
Her lower thoracolumbar curve was slightly stiff during surgery, but I was still able to get an excellent correction with the help of a small osteotomy, or removal of bone wedge at the apex of the curve.  Her curve was still MUCH more flexible than the older adult patients I have treated with the same curve.  It’s a sad truth: the older we get, the stiffer we get!  When treated at a younger age, we not only get a better correction, but often more disc spaces below the fusion can be spared, and the discs below can last longer, with the loads above centered better.

Emily did very well during surgery.
Her evoked potential motor and sensory function remained normal throughout surgery.
She did not require any blood transfusions.
Her surgery took around 3 hours.
She went to recovery room (PACU) for a while and then was able to go to a large private room with her parents waiting for her.
Her mom and dad and good friends met me in the conference room right after surgery, and both said “WOW!” when they saw the new, straight Emily X-Ray.
Postoperatively, she did very well and went home yesterday after 3 days in the hospital.
I just talked to Emily and her mom on the phone, and it sounds like she is making very good progress.

Have a speedy recovery, Emily, and a great summer!

Lloyd A Hey, MD MS
http://www.heyclinic.com
Hey Clinic for scoliosis and Spine Surgery
Raleigh, NC  USA

Note: At Hey Clinic, we respect our guest’s privacy, but also allow sharing to encourage others, and allow others in the greater community to learn.
Emily and her parents gladly share this Blog entry with attached photos with friends and family and others who visit our Hey Clinic Blog, as confirmed with them June 14 2008.

11 yo Micah has Double Curve Scoliosis fixed and goes home after 3 nights in the hospital

After Emily’s surgery in the morning, I got together with Micah and his parents in preop as shown above.
Micah is 11, and has had a rapidly progressive double curve scoliosis.
His surgery went very well, with a T6-L3 instrumentation and fusion, and excellent correction of his deformity.
I used our laminar flow operating room with “moon suits” and special preps and drapes.
Brittany, one of my two excellent physician assistants helped as my assistant during surgery, as well as my usual hospital OR team, including circulating nurse, and two scrub techs, and X-Ray tech.
Evoked potential monitoring was also used, and was normal throughout surgery.
He did well during surgery with 1100 cc blood loss just like Emily in the morning, and blood returned to her as cell saver.
He did not require any blood transfusions, and his surgery was around 3 hours.
Right after surgery, I got to share his new X-Rays with his mom and dad in the conference room just outside the operating room.
He did not require an ICU stay, and his parents were both able to stay with him in the large private room with 2 beds.
Micah did very well after surgery, and is quite a bit taller.  He received lots of great care from the nursing staff who love to take care of all of our patients, but have a special place in their hearts for our younger scoliosis patients.  Micah participated in Physical and Occupational Therapy twice a day.
His large preop humps in the thoracic and lumbar area are now gone, and he stands with excellent balance.

Micah went home this morning with his parents doing well.
God has answered many prayers for Micah and his family this week.

Get well soon Micah!

Dr. Lloyd Hey
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery
http://www.heyclinic.com
Raleigh, NC  USA

Note: At Hey Clinic, we respect our guest’s privacy, but also allow sharing to encourage others, and allow others in the greater community to learn.
Micah’s parents gladly share this Blog entry with attached photos with friends and family and others who visit our Hey Clinic Blog, as confirmed with them June 13 2008 9pm.