Vericose Vein Surgery Trip To Choluteca

First I had to reschedule the SMART Team for a week later, because the house in Kansas sold and I had to move furniture AND then I arrived late in Tegucigalpa NOT because of poor planning on my part, but because of uncooperative weather and because of late airplane traffic, read the previous BLOG.

When I arrived, a few hours after Dr. Spitz had already arrived in Tegucigalpa and found he and Jose wandering around the airport waiting for me, he was smiling and taking photos at the airport. I thought to myself, “This guy is a keeper!” I got into the truck at the airport and realized that I didn’t have some things I needed, so we had to go to the apartment to pick them up. Now we were even later!

With the trip off to a bad start, I was convinced that things could only get better and sure enough they did. Dr. Gregory Spitz is a trooper and has a heart of gold.

Patient waiting for surgery with his leg marked!

When we arrived at the hospital, I think he may have been a little overwhelmed at the lines of people waiting to be evaluated by him. There must have been 50 or so patients all crowded onto the front porch of the “alberge” (Honduran version of the Ronald McDonald house where people stay when they live to far away to go home) waiting for him.

Legs, legs and more legs! In the recovery room.

Dr. Spitz was fast, efficient and extremely well organized in light of the less than perfect conditions which presented themselves at the hospital. Lights went on and off several times, helpers in the operating room changed several times, it was hot, the food arrived late, the recovery room was full, there were no patient gowns at times, there were no doctor surgery gowns at times, the instruments weren’t sterilized on time, just about anything that could go wrong, tried to present itself during this team. BUT all turned out well and he was able to help 28 patients with varicose vein surgery. Thank you Dr. Spitz!

This little one took away everyones attention for a while, she was BLUE! But all turned out well, thanks to fast acting nurses, anesthesia and doctors, meanwhile Dr. Spitz continued in the other room.

The result? Look at the face and you can see more than words can tell!