International Service
Our specialists donate time to help less fortunate patients abroad
Helping landmine victims in Vietnam
Orthopedics International has always had a history of international service. Our original three founders all visited hospitals and teaching institutions across Europe, Asia and Africa to provide orthopedic care and to teach others. Many of our physicians continue to participate in international projects to improve the healthcare of others.
In 2001, Dr. Pierce Scranton became the president of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS). He decided to involve the society in serving the landmine victims and disabled children of Vietnam. In 2001, he led a group of surgeons to Vietnam where they performed orthopedic surgery on many disabled patients. One of their first patients was a 14-year-old girl with such severe clubfeet that her feet were actually backwards. She could barely walk, and was unable to attend school due to her condition. The surgery was very difficult, but successful.
They performed surgery on more than 60 patients that June in 2001. However, this created a dilemma. The experience was so rewarding that the entire team wanted to come back the next year! Also, they had only corrected one of the girl’s deformed feet. So several surgeons from the AOFAS returned the following year to correct her other side. In addition, they performed surgery on another 60 children. Word spread, and more orthopedic doctors from around the world wanted to participate in the program. The AOFAS Overseas Fellowship Program is still going strong and has operated on more than 600 landmine victims and disabled children.
Fixing the broken in the Dominican Republic
In 2005 and 2006, Dr. Vincent Santoro joined the Diocese of Orlando to spend several heart-wrenching, but exhilarating, weeks in the Dominican Republic. Their charge was, "to fix the broken.” The mountain people of the Dominican Republic never came to town for medical care and injuries sustained while working. The only “treatment” they received was a banana leaf wrap. Serious injuries led to profound deformities, unhealed fractures, and infections.
Patients were gathered by the Sisters of the Diocese and brought to a clinic where they received care from doctors, including Dr. Santoro. The pathology seen amazed the clinicians. They saw conditions that they had never seen before or read about, even in well-known orthopedic textbooks! Many instruments and implants were donated to the clinic. The clinicians used grinding wheels and Black and Decker drills to create custom implants for use on their patients. Dr. Santoro recalls: “This was very McGyveresque! But it worked. The smiles on the faces of those originally twisted,’ but made ‘straight,’ was priceless! I will never forget this time and look forward to future trips!”
