History

The project first started in 2004 following a visit to Cuba by two orthopedic surgeons, Dr. John Feagin and Dr. William Stetson.  Following that trip, both doctors committed themselves to help their Cuban colleagues not only obtain arthroscopic equipment but also train them in the latest techniques.  By using their love of humanity and arthroscopy, their goal is to build bridges and foster a better understanding between our colleagues in developing countries while working to improve their quality of life.

In 2004, Dr. Stetson and his wife, Erica, collected used medical equipment for their Cuban colleagues.  A team of five doctors from the United States and Canada traveled to Cuba and delivered the equipment and gave two seminars and performed two live shoulder arthroscopies for their Cuban colleagues.

With this donated equipment, two centers of arthroscopy have been established in Cuba, one in Havana and the other in Ciego de Avila.  The following year with the help and sponsorship of the International Society of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology  (SICOT), headquartered in Belgium, 45 doctors and allied healthcare professionals from the United States, Canada, and Europe traveled to Cuba for an international orthopedic and arthroscopy exchange.

Cuba | Peru | Vietnam

Cuba

April 2009: A team of 26 doctors and 5 nurses from 4 different countries travelled to Cuba to attended attend the 6th Annual International Arthroscopic Symposium. The team went to 3 differend cities, Havana, Ciego de Avila and Santiago de Cuba, and performed 33 surgeries and donated arthroscopic equipment to their Cuban colleagues. The orthopedic team taught their Cuban colleagues arthroscopic surgeries of the shoulder, knee and hip. It was a very successful trip and there are plans to return in March 2010. If you are interested in attending, please contact us at OperationArthroscopy@gmail.com.

October 2007: Dr. Stetson and his team travel to Cuba for the 4th Annual International Arthroscopic Symposium in Ciego de Avila.  READ MORE »

September 2004: 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.  READ MORE »

Peru

Peru 2008: Dr. Keith Nord travelled to Peru in September 2008 on behalf of Operation Arthroscopy to start a shoulder and knee arthroscopic center in Trujillo, Peru. Dr. Nord and his whi Laura Dipuma, also a physician, spent 5 days attending a meeting of the Peruvian orthopedic association. He then did multiple lectures and demonstrations on shoulder and knee arthroscopies. If you are interested in attending future trips to Peru, please contact us at OperationArthroscopy@gmail.com.