Listened to Ethiopian music on a CD in my car this morning!

Home sweet home; there's no place like it!

Long layover in Frankfurt. We took the train to Wiesbaden, walked through an amazing Farmer's market, bought fruit and cheese, now having breakfast!

At airport checking in. A good busy trip. 31 surgeries, hundreds of patients seen in clinic and school for the deaf. More pictures later. 2 long flights ahead

The week is winding down

Mother and Child Before Surgery

Father and Child before Surgery

Our team continues to keep quite busy!  We had OR cases in two different hospitals both Wednesday and Thursday.  We saw patients in the clinic and also at Makanissa School for the deaf.

 Students at Makanissa School for the Deaf

 Makanissa is a large day school for deaf children and their siblings.  All of the children were screened and had their ears examined.  Some needed hearing tests and some had molds made so make hearing aids.  Some will be seen on our next trip to see if they are surgical candidates.   

Dr. Patrick Examines an Ear

Dr. Glenn Operating

Ethiopian Nurse Anesthetists

Wednesday we had dinner at a traditional Ethiopian restaurant with some volunteers from Health Volunteers Overseas who are teaching students in the Nurse Anesthetist Master’s degree program. Thursday, some went to another Ethiopian restaurant with a local ENT surgeon, and some had dinner with volunteers from Seattle Anesthesia Overseas who are working at Black Lion Hospital.

Friday includes three ear surgeries at Cure, more hearing tests and ear molds and Makanissa and then packing for a late night flight.

Photos November 2 and 3

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Dr. Mary Watches as a Spinal is Placed

Dr. Winnie and Ethiopian ENT Resident

Another full day of operating and seeing patients. We are meeting lots of people with the same goals.

Dr. Mary and me at Cure Hospital

Had dinner at Ethiopian restaurant. Too late to post more.

November 1, 2011

Today our team was scattered.  Four team members went to Cure hospital and did five ear surgeries.  Four of us went to Black Lion to do a tonsillectomy and an ear surgery, three went to the School for the Deaf to examine the children and do audiograms and fit molds for hearing aids. 

Street Scene Outside of a Church

While at Black Lion, we met up with a team from Seattle that included anesthesiologists, OR and PACU nurses, surgical techs and an ENT and general surgeon.  We had corresponded with them but had not met them before.  We jointly shipped some equipment in the past.  They have been coming about the same number of times we have but often for longer trips.  We also met with three volunteer anesthesia providers from Health Volunteers Overseas.    

Neonatal Unit, Black Lion Hospital

Dr. Glenn and Ethiopian ENT residents operating

The groups are really working hard to improve the level and quality of anesthesia and surgery care at Black Lion, the major University teaching hospital.  There are now five anesthesia residents in the country instead of only two!  Most of the more than 100 programs in the US have more than five residents.   

The Seattle group has also worked very hard to provide and upgrade some of the anesthesia equipment including setting up a recovery room.   The improvements in equipment and teaching are quite noticeable since our first visit.

Baby after surgery

While waiting to visit the Hamlin Fistula hospital, we stopped at Kaldi’s coffee which looks like a Starbucks coffee shop. 

Some of us went to visit the Hamlin Fistula hospital which is a hospital dedicated to caring for women who have complications of childbirth.  Obstructed labor with no access to emergency obstetric care leaves thousands of women throughout the developing world with fistulae and horrific injuries.  They can only be cured by surgery.  The incidence of this in the US is almost none though it was prevalent in the mid 1800s before modern OB care.  The Hamlin Fistula hospital has treated more than 35,000 women.  If you have read Cutting for Stone, it contains a similar story.

Our team went to a Korean restaurant for dinner

Photos November 1, 2011

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