Tag Archives: operacion sonrisa

Interview with Dr. Catalina Morales, Plastic & Hand Surgeon

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Met with the very nice Dr. Catalina Morales yesterday evening to talk about Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery.. Oh – and did I mention hand and maxillofacial surgery..

She’s very enjoyable to interview because she’s one of those people who really finds pleasure in what she does..  She likes to help people with reconstructive surgery, and she enjoys the satisfaction her aesthetic practice gives her patients..

Planning to go to the OR with her today – so we will re-visit the smiling, talented Dr. Morales later this afternoon..

Update:  In the operating room with Dr. Catalina Morales, at Clinica de Marly  7 May 2011

Dr. Catalina Morales at Clinica de Marly

Dr. Morales at Clinica de Marly during hand surgery

I also interviewed Dr. Casallas Gomez over at Santa Fe de Bogota, read about it in another post..

Dr. Celso Bohorquez, plastic surgeon

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When we first met Dr. Celso Bohorquez, he was donating his time and surgical skills for the repair of congenital facial malformations in Chia, Colombia as part of Operacion Sonrisa.

I went back, yesterday, to Clinica Shaio, to learn more about the man, and the surgeon that so generously contributes to improving the lives of the less fortunate.

Dr. Celso Bohorquez, plastic surgeon

We spent the day in the operating room, watching Dr. Bohorquez perform several techniques including a case with facial endoscopy as part of a face-lift. The results of the cases were striking.


 

In other news, we are discussing pre-operative and intraoperative risk reduction for peri-operative/ post operative MI (along with the high incidence of missed diagnosis) over at our sister site.

Dr. Ernesto Andrade, plastic surgeon

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Dr. Ernesto Andrade is another one of Bogota’s celebrity plastic surgeons, of “Cambrio Extremo” fame.  (A latin television version of ‘Extreme Makeover’ that was popular here several years ago.)  Unfortunately, he was delayed today so I was unable to meet with him, but I did speak with a young doctor in his office, Dr. Eliana Garces.  She filled in a bit of Dr. Andrade’s biography.

I’m hoping to meet with Dr. Andrade himself  tomorrow after I get out of the operating room with Dr. Celso Bohorquez.  If you remember, I met Dr. Bohorquez out in Chia while he was volunteering his surgical skills as part of Operacion Sonrisa (Operation Smile.)

Thoracic surgery, Operation Smile, and a new perspective in Chia

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Spent the morning in Chia with Dr. Osorio (thoracic surgeon) at Clinica Universitario Teleton.  Cases went smoothly, beautifully and quickly. Then we rounded on patients in another facility..


While I was in Chia, I had an opportunity to meet several members of Fundacion Operacion Sonrisa (Operation Smile to all my stateside readers).  I spoke with Pilar, one of the nurses on the surgical team, and Dr. Celso Bohorquez Escobar, plastic surgeon, who said they have sixteen cases planned for this weekend.  They come to Chia several times a year, and operate in multiple locations throughout Colombia.  For any of you unfamiliar with this organization (consisting of volunteer doctors, nurses and other medical staff), Operation Smile performs cosmetic repairs of facial deformities such as cleft palate for indigent patients and their families.

I also had a chance to (briefly) meet two urologists from Medellin that traveled to Chia to perform a urinary continence restoring surgery. I particularly like to see this sort of thing, (bringing care to patients in rural areas, or those who would otherwise go without) – because while neither of these procedures is arguably lifesaving, both procedures are dramatically life-altering, and contribute greatly to the enhancement of quality of life.

But, back to Dr. Osorio – I especially enjoyed talking to Dr. Osorio because as the Dean of Medicine for a medical school, he has different perspectives on the future of medicine, and Colombian medicine in general. He also shows a lot of insight, and open-mindedness to outside perspectives and opinions. Part of this comes from dealing with students and residents everyday, another part may be from his partnership with another physician in Chile (Dr. Claudia Suarez) and some of it undoubtably comes from experience.

I found it interesting and illuminating that Dr. Osorio is probably the first person to ask about my observations, and perspectives on surgery and medicine in Bogota, after being here three months, meeting numerous surgeons, and visiting multiple facilities.. And he seemed to actually be interested in the answers.. I think that any doctor who takes the time to consider the insights of foreign nurse, and asks for criticisms, is someone, who takes the time to look at the world differently, (and medicine needs that.)