Havana photos

Dr. Stetson examining a Cuban patient

The Havana group with Dr. Rodrigo Cambras and his son Dr. Rodrigo Lorenzo.

Dr. Stetson lecturing at the Frank Pais Hospital in Havana

Dr. William Stetson and Dr. Eric McMillan performing a shoulder arthroscopy

Dr. Bojan Zoric and Dr. Sean Rassman performing a Hip Arthroscopy

The Havana team after a successful week of surgeries at the Frank Pais Hospital

Santiago de Cuba photos

The Santiago group with their Cuban colleagues

Dr. Betsy Watson teaching shoulder arthroscopy

Dr. Joe Cheng performing a shoulder arthroscopy

Dr. Watson with a very happy post-op patient

Dr. Watson lecturing on shoulder pathology

The Doctors TV Show.

Operation Arthroscopy has recently gathered and organized emergency medical equipment for the hit show, “The Doctors,” to aid in relief support following the tragic earthquake in Haiti. Physicians and other representatives from the show traveled to Haiti to join the earthquake relief efforts and deliver medical supplies. You can go to http://www.thedoctorstv.com/ to see their doctors in action.

Volunteer Saturday with Brian Nova.

Operation Arthroscopy has decided to go local and help out our Southern California community. “Volunteer Saturday” was started by Operation Arthroscopy to continue our mission of “bringing orthopaedics and arthroscopic surgery to those in need.” On January 9th, 2010, the team from Operation Arthroscopy performed two surgeries on patients who had no insurance but required surgical intervention. Pictured here is Brian Nova, an aspiring young football player with an ACL tear. Dr. Stetson and his team reconstructed his knee with the help of donated supplies, the surgery center, and the staff. We wish Brian luck in his senior year of high school football!

The U.S. Orthopedic Surgeon Team (from left to right): Dr. Drew Miller, Dr. William Stetson, Dr. Gene Muse, and Dr. Scott Fischer.

In October 2007, Dr.Stetson and his team attained special medical permits to travel to Cuba for the 4th Annual International Arthroscopic Symposium in Ciego de Ávila. The international arthroscopic team included four surgeons from the United States: Dr. Gene Muse, Dr. Scott Fischer, Dr. Drew Miller, Dr. William Stetson and his two pre-medical interns, Brittany and Emily, as well as Dr. Eduard Buess from Switzerland.

Prior to traveling to Cuba, they collected arthroscopic medical equipment with the intention of donating it to the hospitals in the provinces of Havana and Ciego de Ávila.

At the Symposium in Ciego de Ávila, the team distributed equipment and the U.S. physicians presented lectures on anatomy, proper arthroscopic technique and  on how to conduct physical examinations. Proper pre and post operative patient education was also discussed.

In addition to equipment donation, the U.S. surgical team also demonstrated how to perform arthroscopic shoulder surgery. All of the surgeries were broadcasted via microphone and video feed to medical students in an adjacent auditorium. Cuban physicians observed the U.S. surgeons perform surgery in the operating room.

Dr. Stetson (right) and Dr. Fischer (left) performing arthroscopic shoulder surgery. All of the surgeries were broadcasted to medical students in an adjacent auditorium. Cuban physicians observed the U.S. surgeons perform surgery in the operating room.

During the stay in Ciego de Ávila, Dr. Stetson and Dr. Buess were honored by the Providence President with humanitarian awards for their contributions to the people of Cuba. It was a heart-warming experience.

The entire team would like to thank Erica Stetson for making this trip possible. Her diligent work in organizing and planning this medical mission allowed the team to experience what they would not have known; the wonders of Cuba and the love shared with the people of Cuba.

At the end of a long day of surgery, Cubans celebrate their hard work with Cervesa! The arthroscopic team (U.S. and Cuban) drinking Cervesa!

This is a picture of the orthopedic ward at the Ciego de Ávila Hospital. In Cuba, medical treatment is very conservative. Almost every patient is put on antibiotics when they are admitted to the hospital. The typical hospital stay for a given patient is two weeks. Medical treatment is limited; however, it is free in Cuba!

Brittany and Emily with medical students from the province of Ciego de Ávila. Medical schools in Cuba accept students from all over the world, including Guyana, St. Lucia, and São Tomé e Principe.

The Malecón, the name of the wall which abuts the sea. This is where most young lovers and youth gather in Havana.

A picture of the light house. Every night at 9pm, a canon is shot to remind the public that the gates of the city will be closing; a tradition which has been long standing.

View the videos of the trip: Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3

From left to right, Erica Stetson (my wife), Fidel Castro, Dr. Brian Day (Vancouver, British Columbia), Dr. Tony Castro (Fidel’s son and an orthopaedic surgeon), Dr. William Stetson (Los Angeles, Ca), and Dr. Scott Powell (Los Angeles, Ca).

I traveled to Cuba last September and was so moved by what I found that I wanted to share my experience with my medical community. I went to Cuba for a medical humanitarian trip that started with the SICOT/SIROT Annual International Conference and ended with two arthroscopic shoulder surgery courses. In the midst of all of these projects we had the privilege of discovering a beautiful country and wonderful people.

This project started 9 months ago when I first visited Havana with Dr. John Feagin, who had recently retired from Duke University. John had previously traveled to Cuba and had laid the groundwork for our visit. During that visit, we met with Dr. Rodrigo Alvarez Cambras, the President of the Cuban Orthopedic Society, his son, Dr. Rodrigo Lorenzo and Dr. Tony Castro de Valle. We discussed the medical needs of the people of Cuba, as well as the shortage of needed medical equipment, including arthroscopy equipment. We were so touched and inspired by the people of Cuba that we committed ourselves to helping them obtain the much needed medical equipment. By teaching shoulder arthroscopy, we saw an opportunity to start building relationships between our two countries.

Our delegation conducted a one day seminar on shoulder arthroscopy including demonstrations on Alex shoulder models. Dr. Scott Powell instructs one of the Cuban orthopaedic surgeons on how to perform an arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

For the following nine months we emailed used equipment vendors, doctors and hospitals asking for donations. It turns out that many of them had a collection of new and used medical and arthroscopy equipment that they were able to donate. In total we collected 75 boxes of arthroscopic surgical equipment and accessories, amazing! Without the generosity of these companies, this project would have never been possible. Many thanks to Arthrex, Smith and Nephew/Dyonics, Arthrocare, Linvatec, DJ Orthopedics and Sawbones for their generous support.

We arrived in Havana on Friday night, September 24 and spent a little time on Saturday walking through Old Havana, which is a striking city filled with history and lovely buildings. Driving through Havana is like driving through the United States during the 1950s. The cars are all classics from the USA and Russia and many of the buildings have elaborate, beautiful architecture. While everything is clean, it does not appear as if any buildings have been built, or painted, since 1950.

On Sunday morning at 2am the shipment of donated equipment arrived at the Havana airport. Dr. Rodrigo Lorenzo, of Frank País Hospital, drove to the airport at midnight and spent 3 hours convincing airport officials to give him the shipment of boxes. No easy task, but somehow he convinced them and transported the boxes to his hospital early Sunday morning. We spent our free time over the next 5 days organizing the equipment and making sure everything was in working order. Many thanks to Fundacion Amistad and Havana Tours who were instrumental in helping us ship the equipment.

Dr. Gene Muse instructs our Cuban colleagues on how to perform an arthroscopic Bankart repair.

On Friday, October 1st, we did a one day symposium for the Cuban orthopedic surgeons on shoulder arthroscopy, which went very well. We had five North American doctors (Dr. Scott Powell, Dr. Gene Muse, Dr. Don Johnson, Dr. Brian Day and me) who gave lectures and then did demonstrations on Alex shoulder models.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Scott, Gene, Brian and Don for taking a leap of faith and coming to Havana to help in this project. I am not sure they exactly knew what they were getting themselves into when they agreed to come, but I think they would all agree it was a chance of a lifetime.

Dr. Powell (left) and Dr. Stetson check the status of donated arthroscopy equipment to make sure it is in working condition. Over 75 boxes of arthroscopy equipment was donated from US companies to our Cuban colleagues.

For example, they had no sterile tubing for inflow to the camera and were planning on using IV tubing to gravity with one liter glass saline bottles. Luckily, we had brought some extra tubing so we were able to perform the surgery though visualization was a challenge. After this surgery, I probably hold the record for the longest arthroscopic subacromial decompression on record but all went reasonably well. The audiovisual equipment was all makeshift and jury rigged but thanks to my wife, Erica, the live video feed to the auditorium worked and all the doctors were able to see what we were doing. Many thanks again to Scott, Gene, Don and Brian for all of their time and effort during the course and live surgery, this course was a success because of them!

Dr. Powell (left) and Dr. Stetson perform the first arthroscopic shoulder surgery in Havana. This surgery was broadcast live to an auditorium of Cuban orthopaedic surgeons.

One of the primary Cuban doctors that I am working with is Dr. Tony Castro de Valle. Tony is a 35 year old orthopedic surgeon and the son of Fidel Castro. I have agreed to teach him shoulder arthroscopy with the understanding he will go on and teach these skills to his Cuban colleagues. We had the pleasure of spending the two weeks of our trip with Tony and his wife, Yolanda. She is an Olympic diver and both of them had just returned from the Olympic Games in Athens. In addition, Dr. Rodrigo Lorenzo and his wife, Alina, were our primary hosts for the two weeks we were there, offering their time to provide our transportation around Havana and through the beautiful countryside of Cuba, as well as providing extensive language interpretation support. By the end of the trip, we had developed a special bond and I now feel that I have two more brothers in Cuba (as if the four I have isn’t enough!).

Dr. Stetson (blue shirt) instructs Dr. Tony Castro on how to perform arthroscopic knot tying on a shoulder model in Ciega de Avila, the second stop on our tour of Cuba.

On our last night in Havana, Tony was kind enough to arrange a meeting with his father, President Castro. He was very interested in our work. We met President Castro and talked with him for over four hours (until 5 o’clock in the morning) about healthcare, education, the environment, the recent hurricanes and the devastation they levied on other countries in the Caribbean. Politics was never discussed and he was very gracious and accommodating during our visit. We came away with a better understanding of Cuba and its people.

Our master plan was to develop relations with Tony and Rodrigo through shoulder arthroscopy and build bridges between our two countries. We never had any idea we would have this sort of opportunity to meet such a world figure.

In Ciega de Avila, Dr. Stetson (left) instructs Dr. Tony Castro (right) and his Cuban colleagues on how to perform a shoulder examination under anesthesia before performing an arthroscopic shoulder surgery.

The people of Cuba have all the basic necessities of life; food, clothing, medical care and housing. There were no homeless people, gangs, graffiti or malnourished people and crime appears to be low. Once you move away from the basic necessities of life we found even the smallest of luxuries, like toilet paper, to be scarce. Most people live with multiple generations of family within a small house since it is virtually impossible to buy a home.

While the countryside is lush and the beaches are beautiful, it is the people of Cuba that are the most amazing jewel of this large island. Given the strained relationship between the USA and Cuba, it would not be unreasonable for the people of Cuba to be angry or unwelcoming towards us. However, from the moment we walked off the plane we encountered nothing but smiles, friendship and open arms. The people were generous, kind, friendly and curious about us and our country.

It seemed that wherever we went the heritage of music could be found. Whenever a group of musicians started playing, the Cubans would blossom and sing and dance with joy in their hearts and a love for life. It was beautiful and inspiring. Every moment was a reminder that we are all the same, we are just people and we all want the same things from life; healthy friends and family, peace, friendship, love, joy and laughter with the hope that we can give our children a better world. Race, gender, nationality and skin color mean nothing.

Our delegation is pictured with our Cuban hosts. From left to right: Dr. Tony Castro (Havana, Cuba), Dr. William Stetson (Los Angeles, Ca), Dr. Gene Muse (Oklahoma City, Ok), Dr. Rodrigo Alvarez Cambras (Havana, Cuba), Dr. Don Johnson (Ontario, Canada), Dr. Brian Day (Vancouver, Canada), Dr. Scott Powell (Los Angeles, Ca) and Dr. Rodrigo Cambras Alvarez (Havana, Cuba).

We are committed to bringing more orthopedic surgeons to Cuba this September for an international orthopedic conference to introduce doctors from North America to our Cuban colleagues. The meeting is scheduled for September 23-30, 2005 in Havana and Cayo Guillermo, Cuba.

We have over 35 doctors from the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe who will be traveling with us. This will be in conjunction with the Cuban Orthopedic National Annual Congress and SICOT. Again, our vision is to use our common love of orthopedics to build bridges to our colleagues in Cuba.

On our last night in Havana, we met with Fidel Castro (center) and his son, Tony (right), for over five hours. Dr. Stetson (left) and Dr. Brian Day discuss healthcare and the environment.

If you are interested in attending or helping out with the collection of more medical equipment, please Email Us us via email at orthopedicsincuba@hotmail.com.

For those of you who speak/read Spanish, we have attached URL links to two articles that were written up in the national Cuban newspaper about the Shoulder Course work that we did in Havana and Ciego de Avila:

http://www.jrebelde.cu/2004/octubre-diciembre/oct-3/ruptura.html

http://www.jrebelde.cu/2004/octubre-diciembre/oct-7/realizan.html

I need to take this opportunity to thank my wife, Erica, who was instrumental in this project. She collected, organized, packed and help ship every single piece of medical equipment. No small task. She did all this while also organizing our wedding which took place on September 4. I convinced her that going to Cuba was going to be our ‘second honeymoon.’ Well, it was much more effort than either one of us bargained for but the rewards have been tremendous and we feel that new bridges have been built.

Finally, I need to thank Dr. John Feagin who has been our guiding light and inspiration for this project. Although John was not able to accompany us on this trip, he is the one who originally paved the way for us and introduced us to the wonderful Cuban people. Without him, we would have never been able to accomplish what we did. Many thanks, John, for being such a wonderful mentor and friend.

The Operation Arthroscopy team traveled to Havana, Cuba to donate medical equipment and performed the first shoulder arthroscopy in Havana. Dr. Stetson and Dr. Powell travel to Cuba for a medical humanitarian trip that started with the SICOT/SIROT Annual International Conference and ended with two arthroscopic shoulder surgery courses. In the midst of all of these projects we had the privilege of discovering a beautiful country and wonderful people.