Spinal Deformity CURED

In order to provide the state of the art care to our patients who suffer from scoliosis and other spinal deformities an entire team is orchestrated consisting of experienced surgeons and nurses, experts in anesthesia, a neuromonitoring technician, an implant vendor, and pediatric intensive care doctor. Each plays an important role in the overall process and the quality results that are obtained. Thanks to the generosity of Biomet Spine and several people who have donated their time for children in the Dominican Republic we were able to again realize a successful week of spinal deformity surgery. Our goal is to give even the most economically challenged patients the opportunity to have a surgery that is equivalent to what is performed in the best medical centers in the United States. Thank you to Dr. Ray Woo, Dr. Henri Acosta and each of the important team members that helped make these life changing surgeries possible.

Limb Deformity Course CURE Dominicana

Date: 25 January 2010
Time 8am -6pm

Course Directors:
Scott Nelson MD
Medical Director CURE Dominicana
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Shawn Standard MD
Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopaedics
Baltimore, Maryland USA

Sponsored by CURE Dominicana with participation of Dr. Micaias Perez, Dra. Honna Silfa, Dr. Cesar Coradin

Cost: 3000DOP (discounts available for residents)


Preliminary Agenda:
Basic Limb Alignment
Basic Deformity Analysis
Blounts Disease
Bone Transport
Knee Contractures
External Fixation Workshop

Please call 809-682-5022 for more information or email Robbie Jackson at j_robbie@hotmail.com

Trip 18 Cap Haitien 21-26 Sept 2009

Chantale is a 6 year old girl who was badly burned last year when she sat on a kerosene lantern. Our hearts were saddened when we saw her for the first time last February. Due to the scarring she was unable to stand up, separate her legs or move her right shoulder and elbow. Her caring mother brought her again in June I promised that I would do something when I returned in September, not knowing if I would have the help I needed to do the case. Fortunately we were joined by Dr. Duncan Miles a plastic surgeon from Loma Linda University. After 5 hours of surgery we were able to excise the scars around the hip joints and rotate some normal tissue into place allowing her once again the freedom to stand up. The following morning I asked her how she felt and from under her mosquito net she replied “Sa va bien et toi monsieur?” In one of our future trips we will plan to release her shoulder and elbow contractures allowing her the use of her right hand.

We were joined on this trip by Dr. Brian Yost one of my orthopaedic surgery partners from Riverside County Regional Medical Center. He also brought with him Louise O’Rourke RN director of operative services and “Dr. Sagoo 2” one of our excellent ortho residents training at RCRMC. Their expertise, help and donations greatly added to our efficiency, quality of care, and international comraderie. As usual our Dominican anesthesiologist and 2 nurses were on fire from early in the morning until the late hours of the night.

We are progressing with plans to transition our quarterly trips into a more sustainable program that will involve several surgeons who are committed to making regular trips to Cap Haitien which will continue with the same frequency. We are planning the construction of some extra operating and storage space which will facilitate volunteers to provide services independent of our Dominican team and the armamentarium of equipment that we haul back and forth from Santo Domingo for each of these trips.

Our next trip will be Nov 29-Dec 12, 2009.

Announcing Release of Tolerances 3rd Ed.

This 100 page orthopaedic pocket book that offers invaluable information for orthopaedic residents and practicing orthopaedic surgeons. It is a comprehensive collection of acceptable ‘tolerances’ for fracture alignment as well as other essential numeric data that should be at the fingertips of orthopaedic surgeons. As Einstein said “don’t memorize anything that you can look up”. It is concisely referenced to major orthopaedic textbooks and landmark articles. Click the cover images to order your copy on amazon.com. This publication is not affiliated with CURE International and all proceeds benefit the Loma Linda University orthopaedic residency program.

Haiti Trip June 1-5 2009

Trip 17. We return every 3 months to Justinien University Hospital in Cap Haitien. As the major referral center for all of northern Haiti there is never a lack of work. The only orthopaedist in the region is planning to retire in the near future and many languishing patients are accumulating without resources or hope for urgent operations. Because of our commitment to quarterly visits we are able to provide adequate follow up for much of the work that we do. In spite of seeing many suffering patients we were encouraged to see some of our patients whose lives have been changed one by one due to our efforts, our supporters, and most of all God's healing touch.


Elena a 4 year old girl before and after surgery for severe clubfoot performed Dec 2008



Loudwige (R) with her sister after having an 85 degree scoliosis curve operated at CURE Santo Dominogo

Mirana a 12 year old girl with cerebral palsy walking for the first time after having severe knee flexion contractures corrected during our last trip.



A 5 year old Haitian boy after having bilateral "ulnarization" procedures performed for radial clubhand.




A mother with her baby cured of his clubfoot after serial Ponseti cast treatment and a minor operation



Dr. Ed O'Laughlin (Baltimore, MD) teaches Haitian resident anesthesia techniques as he puts another patient to sleep.

41 patients were operated during this trip. In spite of operating day and night, unfortunately many patients still had to be turned away.

Subsequent 2009 trips are scheduled for Sept 21 and Dec 7.