May 5 – 8, 2011 – On Site Surgical and Clinical Support

John Williams, MD saw both surgical patients he operated on in February for their 3 month follow-up visit. Both patients are happy and appear to be doing well.

Jim A. Youssef, MD & John Williams, MD saw seven new spine patients, six of whom were determined to require surgery.  The patients had the following spinal pathology: 

18 y/o male - Scoliosis and spinal cord tumor

39 y/o female - Scoliosis and metastatic breast cancer

37 y/o female - Idiopathic scoliosis

34 y/o female - Cervical stenosis

? y/o male - Lumbar revision, explant

37 y/o female - Lumbar spondylolisthesis

21 y/o female - Scoliosis/Leg length inequality

February 1 – 4, 2011: On Site Clinic and Surgical Support

John Williams, MD visited KHMH and performed two instrumented spine cases with the local orthopaedic surgeons,  Dr. Joel Cervantes, Dr.  Javier Depuy  and Dr. Alex Grazon.

Case 1:
47 y/o male - Revision Cervical Surgery, Failed fusion
History: Patient with cervical fracture/subluxation who was one week status post attempted ORIF with 2 makeshift trauma plates by Belizian team of surgeons. Fixation was lost, reduction was lost and upper extremity radicular symptoms recurred. Dr Joel Cervantes requested assistance from Dr. John Williams to assist in revision surgery to address this now very difficult clinical situation using the limited resources available. Surgery was performed in collaboration with Dr. Joel Cervantes, Dr. Javier Depuy and Dr. Alex Garzon to address the patient’s pathology.


Case 2:
45 y/o female – L5-S1 Spondylolisthesis
History: This individual suffered from debilitating back and leg pain for many years. Implants were necessary to address her spinal pathology. The patient had a L5-S1 spondylolisthesis; the required implants were unavailable in Belize prior to this visit of the RMEC Belize Spine Program team. Surgical treatment, in part due to the generous involvement of the spinal implant company NuVasive, Inc, was administered. Treatment involved the collective participation of Dr. John Williams, Dr. Joel Cerveantes, Dr. Javier Depuy and Dr. Alex Garzon.

The Belize Spine Program

RMEC set a goal of identifying an area in the developing world that is not able to offer patients up-to-date comprehensive spine care.  An important criterion is the existence of a general hospital with at least one orthopedic surgeon on staff.  Once identified, RMEC ‘s intent was to then partner with that host hospital to deliver a spine education and training program.  At the conclusion of the program, RMEC would leave behind a self-sustaining spine clinic. 

We identified such a hospital in Belize City, Belize.  In 2010 we were successful in hiring a Canadian consultant, Keri George, RN, who has extensive experience in setting up clinics in Africa and emerging countries around the world.  Ms. George traveled to Belize on a fact finding mission under the auspices of RMEC.  Subsequently, she has initiated several in-country visits, and  traveled again to Belize in early 2011 accompanied by Dr. John Williams, an orthopedic spine surgeon in private practice in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  Dr. Williams has  performed surgeries collaboratively with the Belizean surgeons in the Belize Public Health sponsored hospital there, moving us closer to our goal of on-going training and collaboration.  Additionally, 2010 saw the introduction of this project to the medical instrumentation and equipment industries in our first efforts to solicit support for clinic provisions for future surgeries.  

We will continue to post information on this page as our initiative develops.  Our goal is to  begin establishing our program in Belize by mid-year 2011.