"I am a totally energetic and happy person. Having two young boys, I did not want to look 'old'...Now my face and neck match my outlook and my lifestyle."- actual patient
Recently, I received an inquiry from a surgical nurse who saw a feature on “The Doctors” TV show demonstrating the “latest, less invasive” neck lift technique from Beverly Hills that is supposed to be less expensive with faster recovery:
Aug 12:Each day, I meet new children for preop evaluation, brought by smiling family members huddled at bedside in the Pingliang People’s Hospital. In the faces of the parents, I see a combination of fear, concern and hope.
Although I anticipate the answer, speaking with them through an interpreter, I ask what they want me to do for their child. Rather than reply verbally through the interpreter, the answer is almost always made by pointing to the obvious cleft of the lip, or by opening the child’s mouth to point to the gaping opening of the roof of the mouth, a cleft palate.
Aug 8: Some background on Pingliang, (平涼) located in central China: the most famous landmark is Kongtong Mountain (崆峒山), the cradle of Taoism.
Pingliang is almost exactly in the middle of the map of China, right.
I had a chance to visit Kongtong Mountain, which is a short taxi ride from our accommodations in Pinliang. It is interesting to note that traffic regulations are quite different here. It appears that the lines in the road are merely “suggestions.” Cars do not hesitate to drive on the “wrong side” of the road, if it is convenient for the driver. This adds interest and excitement to the trip, like watching a national tournament of vehicular “chicken.”
August 6: Dealing almost daily with the unexpected and with schedule changes are the rule on surgical trips to underserved areas. Each trip is unique in the nature of the challenges.
Communication is always a challenge in remote parts of the world with different languages, dialects and cultures. I particularly remember a time in Ziwane, Kenya. We accessed a remote village using 4-wheel drive trucks traversing dried river beds and wash-outs, over 45 minutes from the nearest road of any form. The clinic was set-up in a 2-room structure with a dirt floor. Each of the blankets we spread on the floor was a separate “treatment area.”
August 3: I just finished the first case of our schedule here in Pingliang, China, reconstructing a cleft lip and nose deformity in a 12 year old girl. The team is relieved that the case went well: there is a tension until we get the first case done and know we work well as a team and with the local hospital staff.
As is typical for these surgical trips, the schedule doesn’t go as planned. Most of the scheduled cases for the morning are delayed for a variety of reasons. Adapting to the conditions and the unexpected is critical and never-ending: even as I write this, I overhear one of the nurses, “The boy for the next case has a cold.”
