New agreement with Colsanitas and a company in Northern Virginia is bringing Colombia to the author’s backyard..
Now, for more intimate details of the Bogotá Colsanitas facilities and the surgeons operating there – you’ll have to pick up a copy of Bogotá! The book is being reviewed right now, so we’re getting closer and closer to publication..
Attended the general surgery case review at Clinica Reina Sofia today. No pictures to post here today, but several interesting cases presented.
Enjoy – a short ad for the Bogota Guide to Medical Tourism featuring Bogota’s Hottest Young Surgeons – including Dr. Juan Pablo Umana, Dr. Ivan Adolfo Santos, Dr. Juan Carlos Garzon, Dr. Freddy Sanabria and Dr. Felix Castro. If you haven’t heard about Bogota’s best and brightest – you haven’t heard anything yet.
It’s been two months since my initial visits to see Dr. Fajardo, general surgeon and administrator at Santa Fe de Bogota, so I thought it was time to check back in (and check out the operating room).
Dr. Roosevelt Fajardo, General Surgeon
Dr. Fajardo was assisted during the case by Dr. Carlos Felipe Perdomo, general surgeon. In addition to operating, Dr. Fajardo is responsible for several new and innovative programs at Santa Fe de Bogota, including a 14 specialty telemedicine service which brings specialty consultations to patients in remote areas of Colombia.
Bogota’s Hottest Young Surgeons is my latest article on Colombia Reports – talking about some of the great young surgeons here in the capital;
1. Dr. Juan Pablo Umana (cardiac surgeon)
2/3. Dr. Ivan Santos and Dr. Freddy Sanabria, (plastic surgeons)
4. Dr. Costanza Moreno (orthopedics)
5. Dr. Juan Carlos Garzon (thoracic surgeon) and
6. Dr. Jose Felix Castro (general surgeon)
and some of the things they are doing (which all of my loyal readers already know all about!)
It was a different style of writing than I am used to – but I enjoyed it, and hope to do another article in the future.
Update: After getting a few requests – I’ve re-posted the article here. (But, I’d appreciate it if you went to Colombia Reports anyway, so the editors can know how many people are reading the articles – and hope that they will publish more in the future!)
From Colombia Reports.com
Bogota’s Hottest Young Surgeons
Don’t let their youth fool you. These young Bogota surgeons are well versed in the latest technologies and the newest surgical techniques, and are changing the face of, and bringing new sophistication to the capital’s medical community.
Dr. Juan Pablo Umana, 46, Cardiac surgeonA Bogota native, Dr. Juan Pablo Umana, with his Stanford education, quintessential rugged good looks and a refreshing outlook, brings a California flavor to Fundacion Cardioinfantil, where he has been the Chief of Adult Cardiac Surgery since 2004. He, along with Dr. Nestor Sandoval have ushered in a new era of Cardiac Surgery in Bogota with a expanding and state-of-the-art cardiac surgery service line. Notably, in 1997, Dr. Umana along with Dr. Memhet Oz invented the first mitral clip for percutaneous valve repair. During surgery, he is focused, meticulous and unflappable. Despite being the most senior of the surgeons listed here, he is just hitting his stride.
Dr. Ivan Santos operates at Clinica Shaio, and is one of a trio of celebrity plastic surgeons here in Bogota. Genetically blessed, he looks ten years younger than his 41 years. In spite of his boyish good looks and shy nature, Dr. Santos is a confident and talented surgeon; more importantly, he gets results. Watching Dr. Santos operate is similar to watching a symphony conductor orchestrate classic music composures with 160 musicians. He never misses a beat, and he is simultaneously aware of everything around him. With his precision in the operating room and aggressive post-operative therapies, patients recover faster, with less pain, and leave his office looking and feeling their best.
Dra. Constanza Moreno is orthopedic surgeon specializing in hand and microsurgery such as digital reattachment after traumatic injury, reconstructive surgery and correction of congenital deformities. After training with the famed Dr. Harold Kleinert and Dr. Breidenbach III in Louisville, Kentucky, she returned to Bogota in 2005. She is currently developing a hand transplant program for victims of landmines. Next week, she is presenting her proposal at the International Hand and Composite Tissue Allotransplantation Society in Atlanta, Georgia.
Dr. Juan Carlos Garzon is a man of action; operating at several facilities across Bogota. Trained in Hong Kong, Dr. Garzon excels at the more difficult thoracic cases. As one of just a few board-certified thoracic surgeons in Colombia, he is using video-assisted thoracoscopy to able to treat complex disease with minimal incisions. He is also teaching this technique to surgeons across Colombia. During cases, he is relaxed, controlled and ready for anything.
Dr. Freddy Sanabria, a young Richard Gere look-a-like, makes his own pretty women as one-half of the Sanabria plastic surgery practice. Trained at the University of Pennsylvania and Stanford University, he brings skill, dedication and the latest cosmetic innovations to a well-established surgical clinic. While operating, he is confident, focused and detail oriented, and his surgical team anticipates his every need.
Dr. Jose Felix Castro is a staff surgeon at Clinica del Country. This magna cum laude academic scholar is one of a few of the talented young general surgeons in Bogota who have embraced single port laparoscopy, which means abdominal surgery without a scar. While Dr. Castro is the youngest of our line up, he brings a wealth of experience to the operating room.
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It’s good to be back in Bogota! Now, if only I could line up all my appointments as easily.
I had anticipated more neurosurgery this week, but with the big neurosurgery conference in Mexico, it’s not turning out that way. So far, it looks like it’s going to be more of a Thoracic surgery week – with some orthopedic surgery and general surgery mixed in..
I’m going to see Dr. Osorio again, at the hospital in Chia this time, (if I can find it…)
I’m hoping to meet with Dr. Stella Martinez too.. I’ve heard a lot of great things about her from several of her colleagues, so I am really looking forward to it.
I’m still trying to arrange a meeting with Dr. Jimenez sometime this week – so I will keep you updated with how that turns out..
Tomorrow, I’m interviewing Dr. Klaus Mieth, an orthopedic surgeon – and I am hoping to catch up with Dr. Roosevelt Fajardo, (general surgeon) over at Santa Fe de , to get together later this week..
There are a few other physicians, I am still hoping to hear back from – so we’ll see how the week unfolds.
Update: 6 April 2011
Met with Dr. Klaus Mieth yesterday – interesting gentleman; speaks three languages; english, german and spanish.. Works full time as an orthopedic surgeon specializing in knee procedures – but also serves as the Director of the largest (and non-profit too) bone and tissue bank in Colombia..
at Cardioinfantil
Another morning in the operating room theater at Cardioinfantil.. Always great to watch Dr. Garzon at work – smooth and effortless, every time.
Spent this afternoon interviewing a general surgeon, Dr. Joaquin Guerra Nino over at Clinica de la Mujer..
More time in the OR tomorrow with Dr. Cabal with interviews in the afternoon..
Finished a tenative cover design for the new book.. Going to get some feedback, and then I’ll post it for your review..
This will be a quick post this evening before I run back out to catch another case.
Spent most of the morning in the OR with Dr. Mario Andres Lopez Ordenez (Thoracic Surgery) over at Mederi.. Complex case but he handled it beautifully. (and I remembered to get photos, so I will post later when I have more time.)
Dr. Mario Lopez, Thoracic Surgeon
Then I raced over to meet with Dr. Luis Jaime Tellez Rodriguez (Thoracic Surgery) over at Cardioinfantil. He works with Dr. Garzon. No surgery this afternoon, but just give me time! To be fair – he’s a lot like Dr. Edgar Guiterrez, (Cartagena) and he sees patients at several facilities; Cardioinfantil, Clinica Colombia, Clinica Reina Sofia.
Now I’m getting ready to head back over to see Dr. Fernando Arias at Santa Fe de Bogota. I interviewed him this afternoon – he’s a real interesting guy so I’ll write more about him later – but now I am heading back to see him at work.
Dr. Fernando Arias, General & Oncology Surgeon
Love, Life and Surgery in Latin America is now Colombian Culture & Cuisine 