Hello, SOAP Friends! I’d like to share with you like one of the last SOAP patients from our trip, Enevoldi. He is a very polite 15 year old young man who had experienced worsening hip pain for several months. The Tanzanian residents asked Dr. Casey to see him in clinic to review his case. Dr. Casey diagnosed Enevoldi with slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE), a condition of the hip joint that affects teens, especially during periods of rapid growth. In SCFE, the ball of the thigh bone slips off the neck of the thigh bone, and requires surgical repair. Dr. Casey taught an OR full of Tanzanian residents (until after midnight!) as they fixed Enevoldi’s hips! This was an especially involved surgery, because he had this condition in both of his hips, essentially requiring two surgeries. Enevoldi was all smiles when we saw him on our last day in Tanzania and the residents were very excited to share all they had learned!
Dr. Casey continued teaching the next day during morning report, for the Tanzanian residents that were in the OR during the surgery.
Thank you, Friends of SOAP, for your support of global orthopedic education and for improving patient access to care! I’m happy to report that all members of our team have safely returned Stateside! Please keep following our blog– I will post more photos from our trip over the next several days!