Disaster Response Orthopaedics: Pearls from the Frontline

SAN FRANCISCO—When mass-casualty events occur, orthopedic surgeons travel throughout the world to treat wounded patients in countries devastated by war, natural disaster, and poverty. In 2010, 500 US orthopedic surgeons traveled to Haiti to help treat hundreds of thousands of victims following a catastrophic earthquake on the Caribbean island. And while the effort was generally successful in treating broken bones, fractures, and other orthopedic injuries associated with earthquakes, not all of the volunteers were adequately prepared to work in a devastated country.

This session will feature a panel discussion with five orthopedic surgeons who have treated patients in Haiti, Afghanistan, on U.S. medical ships, and in other countries devastated by war or disaster. Discussions will center upon how to prepare, work with and build an orthopaedic team, as well as how to anticipate and overcome challenges of orthopaedic care in countries that often are chaotic, devastated and without appropriate medical equipment.

“We’re sharing what we’ve learned through our experiences,” said Col. Tad L. Gerlinger, MD, the session moderator and an orthopaedic surgeon at San Antonio Military Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston ,Texas, “and to give other orthopedic surgeons, who might be interested in volunteering their time, a taste of what to expect. We hope the discussion, sparks an interest in disaster care.”

Dr. Gerlinger said “one of the most rewarding things we do when we go to these countries is to take care of injured civilians, and to train the local surgeons in their hospitals.”

—Brought to you by the AAOS