On Thursday, I observed one of the most fascinating surgeries I have seen yet. The patient suffered a traumatic accident and cut the 3 middle fingers deep to the bone. Multiple orthopedic surgeons worked to place 3 titanium rods to anchor the fingers. They then reconnected the tendons and muscles and were careful not to disturb the blood supply. Another surgery I observed was a right shoulder rotator cuff repair. After the orthopedic surgeon cut into the patient’s shoulder, he showed me how the shoulder rotates by moving the patient’s arm up and down. I was able to see the exact mechanics of a shoulder rotation and how rotator cuff repairs affect shoulder and arm movements. Later that night, I watched the Paraguay v. Brazil game in la Copa Americana with my host family, who were very excited to watch Brazil win in penalty kicks.
On Friday, the two surgeries that I observed were a right knee tendon repair and the removal of a titanium plate that had been stabilizing a patient’s right ankle. After volunteering, I had my final 2 hours of Spanish lessons. I then went on a city night tour offered by Simon Bolivar school to learn about the numerous churches and popular streets, Calle Rondo and Calle Galapagos, in el Centro Histórico.
