According to a detailed report on orthopedic care at a hospital outside of Port au Prince, Haiti, researchers found:
• Major orthopedic procedures performed grew from 10 to 455 immediately after the earthquake
• 465 orthopedic surgeries were performed during a 31 week period after the earthquake
• Only 10 percent of the surgeries were amputations after the earthquake, compared to 100 percent of the orthopedic procedures before the earthquake
• Patients treated after the earthquake were an average of 61 years old, compared with 25 years old before the earthquake
• Only 5.3 percent of patients were diagnosed with gangrene after the earthquake, as opposed to 60 percent before the earthquake
The Academy has established a new credentialing process for physicians who plan to travel internationally in response to disasters, with the first training session held in December 2011.
Related Articles on Orthopedic Surgery:
Number of Americans With Total Knee Replacement Doubled Over 10 Years
Orthopedic Defensive Medicine Costs Estimated at $2B Annually
Dr. James Andrews Performs Shoulder Surgery on Pitcher Rich Harden
