A physician from the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in El Paso recently went on a medical mission trip to Guatemala. There, he met a 16-year-old boy seeking medical attention for hand deformitiesfrom which he has suffered most of his life.
Dr. Miguel Pirela-Cruz, associate professor of orthopedic surgery is teamed with a group of volunteers to help the boy improve the appearance and function of his hands.
"(The mission) turned out to be a lot more than what I anticipated," Pirela-Cruz said.
Pirela-Cruz traveled to Guatemala to help children and adults with orthopedic problems. He said physicians providing the medical services pay for most of the trip expenses, and charities donate money to help pay for nurse practitioners.
Pirela-Cruz was introduced to Oseas Lopez, the boy whose hands had been deformed since childhood.
Pirela-Cruz said people in Guatemala often cook over open pits, and boiling water fell on Lopez's hands when he was a year old, causing his deformities.
There are complicated moral issues involved with each case, Pirela-Cruz said, especially with Lopez.
For example, one surgeon working on Lopez's case did not believe Lopez needed surgery because he had learned to function with his hands for the past 15 years, Pirela-Cruz said. However, volunteer surgeons debated about what to do and made a collective agreement.
The surgical team, headed by Pirela-Cruz, prepared to perform the first of several of Lopez's surgeries in Guatemala, but a power outage made it impossible to continue.
Plans were made to transport Lopez to the United States, where he could receive treatment, PirelaCruz said.
With the help of other doctors, Pirela-Cruz simultaneously performed one major surgery and several other surgeries on both of Lopez's hands.
Pirela-Cruz said the medical staff is trying to perform each task quickly because charities such as Healing the Children are paying for Lopez to receive treatment in the United States, and funding is limited.
Lopez's first surgery included moving both hands around and bringing the contorted right side into a normal position, Pirela-Cruz said. A large wound was left, but Lopez was not in pain.
"It's a very significant change," Pirela-Cruz said.
While Lopez's hands will never look completely normal, he will continue his work on the hands, Pirela-Cruz said.
Lopez hides his hands when in public, which is common for people with deformities, Pirela-Cruz said.
The medical staff currently is addressing issues involving the left thumb, Pirela-Cruz said. Lopez's thumb will probably need two additional surgeries.
Dr. Rolando Cadena, a podiatrist from Las Cruces, N.M., introduced Pirela-Cruz to Lopez when Lopez approached Cadena about his hands.
"I looked him over and introduced him to the hand team Dr. Pirela-Cruz was heading up that week," Cadena said.
Lopez is living with Cadena and his family while he continues his surgery and physical therapy.
Cadena said Lopez has his own room and an avid interest in sports, especially soccer.
Lisa Ruley, director of communications and marketing at the HSC-El Paso, said Lopez lives in Jutiapa, Guatemala, with his parents and three sisters.
She said Lopez's family has running water but no electricity.
Lopez goes to school in Guatemala and is an average student, she said.
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