Haiti: Orthopedic Surgical Program

Surgical Component

New Patients Selected for Surgery

The 4th installment of the orthopedic surgical program was launched in April 2017. Selection and screening of new patients continued throughout the end of the year 2017, but the first previously selected 10 children could not be treated during the December vacation because of social and civil unrest in the capital and provincial towns during 2017. Furthermore, devastating protests in July 2018 caused the destruction of businesses and lootings after a rise in fuel prices plunged the capital into chaos, which again postponed these surgical sessions, and overall insecurity made it impossible to reschedule most of the surgeries. Only three patients were successfully treated, two of whom finalized treatments started as far back as 2016.

Who are We Helping Now?

Even with the beginning of the new school year, we have finally been able to select and prepare some of the patients who were scheduled before the period of unrest, who are also not encumbered by school requirements. Amongst the selected 7 patients in the session, we have:

Loudiana Gerve

Age: 9

This 9-year-old little girl was brought to us by an NGO working in a remote area in the southern part of the country. Loudiana is full of life but affected by a deformity that is seriously impeding her livelihood. A condition referred to a windswept deformity caused both of her limbs to grow in a deviated fashion, producing a dysfunctional and unaesthetic appearance. She will, through our surgical program, benefit from reconstructive surgery on both lower limbs.

Valentine Joseph

Age: 18 Months

This little 18-month-old girl was born with a condition known as bilateral shortened Achilles tendons, which prevents her from standing on her feet and only allows her to stand on her toes. In rural areas such as Valentine’s southern provincial hometown, this disease would most likely not be addressed, and she would develop further bone repercussions later in her growth cycle.

Fortunately for Valentine, an early surgery lengthening both of her Achilles tendons will allow her to avoid these complications and give her chance at normal and unencumbered growth.

David Frérélus

Age: 10

This little boy is 10 years old and suffers from a very common bone growth illness in many Caribbean and African regions: Blount disease. It is an orthopedic condition which curves the lower limbs because of a growth cartilage defect in the upper part of the shinbones. In David’s case, the illness only occurs in one of his legs. If left untreated, it will continue to evolve, incurring potentially incredibly severe deformities.

Aggressive corrective surgery, if correctly timed, is capable, of decreasing the progression of the deviation and ensuring near-normal limb alignment.

Rotchenda St. Valére

Age: 6

This 6-year-old little girl was also brought to us by an NGO working in the southern region of the country in a remote town with no access road for cars.

Earlier in her life, Rotchenda’s parents sought treatment in a department of the local community referral hospital, where a foreign surgical team was working. However, after surgery, accessibility difficulties and poor follow-up care caused an unfavorable postoperative result and left her with a recurrent deformity in both of her feet.

Reconstructive surgeries for her recurring condition will be challenging but may be her last chance at a normal and productive life.

Christina Thémistocle

Age: 9

Christina is 9 years old and was being treated with braces for a lower limb deformity, which has only worsened with time. A fellow physician referred her to us for evaluation and treatment options when confronted with her poor progress.

She will benefit from corrective surgeries realigning her lower limbs and allowing for continued normal growth.