Medical Mission To El Salvador Podiatry Relief - IIFAS Video Documentary

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In August of 2008, the International Institute for Foot and Ankle Surgery embarked on its 4th annual medical mission to El Salvador. Founded by Dr. Joseph D. Giovinco, an Atlanta podiatrist, the IIFAS continues to freely offer citizens of the world the same standard of podiatric medical care as their United States counterparts.

This years eight day podiatric medical campaign was successfully headed by podiatrists Dr. Joseph D. Giovinco and Dr. Chris Menke. The non-profit organization arrived to this native country, equipped with over $25,000 worth of corporate and privately donated medical hardware and supplies.

With the assistance of local supporters, the campaign was able to transport across the country towards the town of San Miguel. It is here that campaign members lived with the local family of Dr. Salvador Perez, who is the chief of surgery at the hospital of Nueva Guadeloupe. Collaboration between Dr. Giovinco and Dr. Salvador Perez, resulted in an organized team of 17 volunteers which included both American podiatrists and El Salvadorian surgeons.

To start the campaign, this mission made an initial excursion to several rural villages embedded along the country-side of El Salvador. This leg of the campaign provided members of the mission team an opportunity to offer in-home care to some of the more remote and financially burdened citizens.

The next stage of the campaign took place at the hospital of Nueva Guadalupe. Here, the campaign utilized the hospital's clinical quarters and services to evaluate and treat over 100 individual patients, who were able to make the long pilgrimage.

Although these patients presented with a variety of conditions, the overall population of El Salvador is without proper podiatric medical care. This results in an unfortunate number of people and children with neglected deformities and post traumatic ailments.

Children with congenital deformities were evaluated for treatment by means of gait analysis and physical examination. If left untreated, one can see how these imperfections not only effect the biomechanical function of the body, but can compromise the patient's overall quality of life.

Based on age and severity of the underlying condition, some of these patients were able to begin a serial casting regiment. This is a method used to correct a young child's clubfoot deformity, whereby a gradual sequence of reduction is utilized before the foot becomes ossified and rigid.

For patients who posses neglected or severe deformities, surgical treatment was offered. This took place in the hospital's operating rooms, where team members worked side by side with resident doctors to provide an uncompromising standard of medical care.

Through hours of tireless effort, the 2008 IIFAS campaign was able to surgically address more than two dozen complex and immobilizing conditions. This involved a variety of high caliber surgical procedures and techniques to restore and improve function to the feet and legs of El Salvador's citizens.

The IIFAS has many goals, aside from providing the impoverished with high quality podiatric medical care. The central mission of the institute is to empower indigenous health care providers to offer the same level of care for themselves through education and training.
 
This continuing effort is made possible by both the local ancillary services offered by the hospital of Nueva Guadalupe, as well as the overwhelming support of local residents and hospital staff. In addition to volunteer translation service and medical assistance, these local citizens also provide travel and housing arrangements to the campaigns members.

This integration and cooperation with the native cultural community remains an important touchstone of the IIFAS. It is a vital component in the effort to achieve a lasting relationship with the people of the world around us.

For more information about the International Institute for Foot and Ankle Surgery's current and future campaigns, please visit the official website at www.iifas.net. It is important to remember that this organization's effort could not be made possible without your contributions; please visit the donations section to place your benefaction to the future of podiatric medical mission work, today!