What a blessing to be part of all God is doing for His people at Tenwek Hospital. I continue to be amazed at how well patients recover despite lack of updated equipment, substandard sterility, and minimal instruments.
This is the young girl we operated on for the cerebellar abscess and chronic ear infection. She is fully recovered with no permanent deficits. God's miraculous healing power!
I have seen lots of trauma cases this trip. Not only road traffic accidents but also tribal violence. The panga is the weapon of choice in this area. The deep belly adds weight for slicing even through bone.
This elderly women was assaulted with a panga weapon which sliced right through her mandible bone (lower jaw). Her husband was killed. She came to us for repair 6 weeks after the injury. She was unable to eat because of the malunion of the mandible bone.
The next gentleman sustained a panga injury to the face. He presented with facial paralysis and a large laceration that was closed at an outlying hospital about 48 hours prior to presentation. With close examination there was slight movement of his lower lip so I know the main trunk of the nerve was not severed. He underwent exploration of the wound. We were able to find the distal branches of the upper face that were severed. We then identified the main trunk of the nerve and followed this to the area of trauma. The nerve branches were sutured together which would give him better chance of recovery.
He had a recovery I can not explain medically. It usually takes 1 year to see recovery of the reanastamosed branches. Post op day 1 he had almost complete recovery where he was paralyzed prior to surgery. God is Good!
We are preparing to leave now. As always it is so sad to be leaving such a beautiful country and wonderful people. I have promised to come back soon as there are some many others that need treatment.
Thank you again for your prayers!
Chase
