D.I.S.C. Doc Talk

For the past few years, I had traveled to impoverished countries around the globe to volunteer my services to treat children with scoliosis.  When the earthquake in Haiti hit and the devastation that resulted, like so many others, I was looking for a way to help.  I was fortunate to have been invited to volunteer my services through a group called International Humanitarian Aid Foundation that was very involved in working with the orphans in Haiti and was currently working on building a girls orphanage.

 

I tried to prepare myself for the experience, but when I got there, it was worse than I ever could have imagined. I can’t even begin to tell you how bad the situation was down there.  There were over 200,000 patients who need orthopedic care.  At the time of my visit, we had enough orthopedic surgeons down there but the problem was lack of equipment and instruments.  One of the hospitals didn’t even have an x-ray machine.  At that hospital where I was, there were four critically injured patients including a very bad pelvic fracture and another one with L1 fracture w/ incomplete spinal cord injury but there was no way the operating rooms were set up for that kind of care. 

 

Almost all the patients had some member of their family missing or dead.  All were homeless and had nowhere to go.  Unless, those critically injured patients were to receive the appropriate surgery in the next week or so, they’ll most likely be dead! Although frustrated by the experience, I will never forget the people I met and the feeling of helplessness I had in not being able to truly help people that literally had nothing left and will have the emotional and physical scars for years to come, if not their entire lives.

 

I’m not really sure that Port-Au-Prince can ever be rebuilt. The Haitians will need help for a very long time.  If you have not yet taken the time to donate, I encourage you to do so.  There are a variety of worthwhile charities that would be appreciative of whatever you can afford.

 

 

I was recently interviewed for a couple of articles relating to carpal tunnel syndrome and stichless endoscopic carpal tunnel release.  They are worth checking out.

 

 

 

More information on the new 10-minute Endoscopic Carpal Tunnel Release is available on this video.  Note: You will need to click on "The Hand and Wrist Institute" and then select the Endoscopic CTS video.

Touch Bionics is offering hope to the disabled with an extraordinary new product called ProDigits. It's the world's first powered bionic fingers and the range of motion and complexity of grip that it offers people with missing fingers is sure to change lives.

Previously if the digit or hand could not be re-attached only a hook or hand with rudimentary function requiring movement of the entire limb working through a harness and cables would be used.

The only thing previously available for partial hand loss of a few digits was a non functional prosthesis for aesthetics only. If an individual lost all fingers except the thumb, then we would have to amputate the hand back to the wrist to allow a prosthesis to allow the rudimentary hand function. While there is still a need for a toe to thumb transplant in the case of an isolated thumb loss, when all fingers are lost with a thumb remaining then this prosthesis is ideal as opposed to transplanting a toe to give a disfigured pincer appearance to the hand. It can also be utilized to replace the digits lost while allowing function of the uninvolved digits.This prosthesis allows the return of much needed function with much greater digit dexterity.

 

Ran across an interesting Canadian study that found most cases of overdose are due to “inadvertent toxicity.”   It is important for patients to understand both the benefits and risks with this drug to be better informed and make the right health care choices. 

 

Oxycodone is a potent opiate "pain killer" often prescribed for moderate to severe pain. Oxycodone is the active ingredient in the short acting medication Percocet where it is combined with acetominophen. The drug can also be prescribed by itself as oxycodone IR another relatively short acting medication. A longer acting form of the molecule is available as the brand name drug "Oxycontin," or as a generic slow release oxycodone. These different preparations are excellent medications for the short term treatment of severe pain but they also carry a well known reputation for supplying a pleasant euphoria and hence are among the most sought after medications by recreational drug users.

 

Because of their potency there is always the potential for overdose. These medications should only be prescribed by medical doctors familiar with their spectrum of activity and abuse potential. Patients should be carefully counseled with regards to side effects and dosing intervals. The long term use of these medications should be reserved for only carefully selected patients and is discouraged for the vast majority of patients. To read more about this study Click Here.