Global Health

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Healing for Today, Hope for the Future

Spanning the decades, orthopaedic specialists from the University of Utah Department of Orthopaedics have traveled to remote regions of the globe to provide life-changing and often life-saving orthopaedic surgery. From Nicaragua to a small clinic in Juarez Mexico, orthopaedic specialists have been making a difference in the lives of thousands of children and adults through multiple medical and teaching missions world-wide.

Global Health

GLOBAL OPERATIVE EXPERIENCES

Fast Facts Global 24

By the numbers:

  • 4 weeks in a country
  • 5 operating days a week
  • 3-4 ortho cases a day
  • 1-2 “emergent” cases per weekend

Case types:

  • nonunions
  • chronic dislocations
  • chronic osteomyelitis/septic arthritis
  • upper and lower extremity fractures
  • traction for complex acetabulum
  • ex fix for unstable pelvis
4TH STREET CLINIC

ASSOCIATIONS

  • Mongolia
  • Morocco
  • Nepal
  • Nicaragua
  • Santiago, Chile
  • Rwanda
  • El Salvador – Operation Walk
  • Blanding, Utah
  • Guatemala – Faith in Practice
  • Uganda
  • Ecuador
  • Nicaragua
  • Mexico – Zacatecas/Guadalupe
  • Beijing
  • Bhutan

Operation Walk  Provides life-changing joint replacement surgeries

Faith In Practice Provides medical care to the poor of Guatemala

HONDURAS - Operation Walk 

A team of our providers returned from a trip to Honduras with Operation Walk. While in Honduras, they did 55 total knee replacements in three days. One of those surgeries was Douglas, who was in a motorcycle accident in 2007 and broke his femur. He developed arthritis and could barely bend his leg. His range of motion has increased greatly since his surgery. Thank you to Douglas for letting us share his story.

Honduras Operation Walk

BOLIVIA 

A group of physicians from University of Utah Health took a surgical trip to Cochabamba, Bolivia. They spent the week teaching and working with local residents and medical students, and performing various surgeries. Thank you to Brittany Garcia, MD for sharing this work!

Ortho Bolivia

El Salvador - Operation Walk 

The U Health was thrilled to be able to return to San Salvador, El Salvador. There was a large waiting list of patients suffering from debilitating arthritis who needed knee and hip replacements. Our providers, Dr. Pelt, joined Dr. Hofmann and Operation Walk Utah team, completed 55 Surgeries on 54 patients in 3.5 days. They were able to treat 42 females and 13 males ages 30-80 years old with potentially life-saving treatments. 

El Salvador