Dr. Leung helps out in Cuenca

Recently, long-time CAMTA surgeon Paul Leung traveled to Cuenca, Ecuador to help local surgeons with some orthopedic surgeries. Here's his report:

I spent a week in Cuenca, Ecuador with the intention of helping the local surgeons with knee arthroscopy. My host was Telmo Tapia and I stayed in an apartment above Dr. Tapia's.

Dr. Tapia worked in the Vicente Corral Moscoso Hospital which he tells me is the only public hospital in Cuenca and also is the regional hospital for this province. Patients including foreigners are not charged for any services including surgery in this hospital.
The hospital acquired the first and only one arthroscope about a year ago.

The surgeons, anesthesiologists and OR staffs were very friendly. I think this reflects the culture of the people here. I assisted in two primary and two revision ACL, as well as two menisectomies in patients with partial ACL injuries. The hospital does not have a tourniquet, but they do have a pump. A rep would bring in the ACL reconstruction set with the fixation devices. Dr. Tapia told me that he applied to the government to fund 16 ACLs in preparation of my visit. In addition to Dr. Tapia, I assisted two other surgeons in the above surgeries, including one who does a fair amount of arthroscopic surgery in his private clinic. I am glad that that I was able to assist several surgeons.

In driving around Cuenca, I saw at least four large private hospitals and many private clinics. I have the impression that private medicine is bigger than public medicine here.

I think the mission was worthwhile and the quality of knee arthroscopy improved in these three surgeons' hands.