First Taylo Spatial in Palestine!

15 year old Mo Hgoug recieved severe injuries whilst running from a helicopter attack in Gaza in 2008. Shrapnel tore open his leg and shattered his bone. Recently Mo has recieved expert surgery and rehabilitation care from MiST medics. He underwent complex surgery, involving the application of the first Taylo Spatial Frame in Palestine. 

Six months of focused rehabilitation, and Mo can now be found playing football at school in Khan Younis in the south of Gaza. He hopes to be a surgeon one day.

Mo suffered an open communited fracture of the midshaft tibia with gross contamination and displacement. Mo was not hopeful of a full recovery, but after conversations and follow up care with surgeons he gained confidence. 

The success of Ilizarov is directly proportional to the dedication of the patient. A motivated patient like Mo, can see remarkable results. 

Each strut of the frame has a number, small adjustments of 1mm are prescribed daily, helping align the bone. Mo has shown considerable strength and follow an intense regime of physio, which has helped him make a full recovery. 

Significantly, the ankle and knee now align. Although there is now a slight bow remaining in the bone.

Mo gave the surgeon a mini Koran as a gift, Mos’ Mother bestowed a thousand hugs!

Surgeon Interview #1 - Professor Sohail Khan

Professor Sohail Khan is currently in Palestine, working in Gaza and West Bank. Establishing a teaching hospital in Gaza is never going to be easy. We asked Sohail a few questions to get some idea of the sort of person who rises to such a challenge.

> Name / Nickname
Sohail Ali Khan / Boss or Genghis
> Speciality
Orthopaedics and Limb reconstruction

>What draws you away from home?
The challenge

> What lessons does Gaza/Palestine teach you?
How people manage with little help and still remain open and friendly to foreigners.

> What lessons from home do you bring with you?
Compasssion and patience

> Has a particular patient surprised you recently - why?
They are all grateful and smile when they realise I am on there side and am not doing it for their money!!

> Most unusual surgery performed recently?
Correction of a deformed tibia in a 7 yr old.....I had promised the father on my last visit I would do this case and it was the first one I did on my return to Gaza.

> What keeps you going?
The people and friends in Gaza.

> If your weren't a surgeon what would you be...
An artist/sculptor/writer/leader!!

> Favourite book of all time
Perfume by Patrick Suskind

> Currently reading
The Constant Gardener....John Le Carre


> Favourite past-time when not working?
Sport....any form of this....football, lacrosse and swimming in Gaza. North V.s South Gaza next Friday on beach.....my teams gonna win!!!

For more information about MiST in Palestine  >click here<
To donate towards much needed medical equipment >click here<

Baroness Jenny Tonge talks at MiST Pakistan Post-Flood Relief Event

MiST Patron, Baroness Jenny Tonge speaks on behalf of Mobile International Surgical Teams.
MiST held the recruitment and fundraising event recently at The Marriott Hotel in Worsley, Manchester. The event highlighted the medical and health needs of Pakistan post-flood.



A big thank you to everyone who supported this event and contributed to making it a big success.
We calculated pledges for medical equipment amounted to over £20,000 and we also raised about £2400+ in cash (shared with Aster Asir of Shepherds Home Trust).

MiST Pakistan Post - Flood Relief Event

MIST PAKISTAN POST FLOOD RELIEF EVENT
Recruiting Surgeons, Anaesthetists, Physicians & GPs, Nurses & Non-Medical Personnel
Also dinner, poetry and the auctioning of artwork to raise funds for vital medical supplies.

“I will never forget the destruction and suffering I have witnessed today...the world has never seen such a disaster “ United Nations Chief Ban Ki-Moon

Guest speaker: Patron Baronness Dr. Jenny Tonge

Also representatives from:

MiST Pakistan
WHO (World Health Organisation)
Islamic Help
Human Appeal International
Qatar Red Crescent

Date: 23rd October 2010
Time: 5.30pm until 9pm
Venue: Worsley Marriott Hotel, Worsley Park, Manchester M28 2QT - Map Link

For Free Tickets: rsvp admin@mistngo.org

MiST is an international medical charity that specialises in Rapid Response, Arthroplasty, and Training medical/nursing personnel worldwide.
Formed in the wake of the devastating 2005 South Asian earthquake, MiST has become one of the world’s leading Orthopaedic medical charities.

www.mistngo.org
To Join MiST email: join@mistngo.org
To Donate email: donate@mistngo.org

Support MiST on Facebook: www.facebook.com/mistngo

UK Charity Registration No 1132221.
Registered Address: Shakespeare House, 165 Kingsbrook Road, Whalley Range, Manchester M16 8NR
Tel: +44 (0)161 282 3205

Lacrosse On The Gaza Strip

Report From MiST Director - Professor Sohail Khan.

Sohail is lead surgeon for the MiST Education Programme in Palestine.

Professor Sohail Khan and his newest lacrosse team.

"Following a busy 6-day week working training the local surgeons in Gaza, it was a pleasant change to go on the beach on a Friday. When I first went to the beach, I saw many children playing but nothing organized for them to do. So one Friday I turned up with my lacrosse sticks and started to play with the Gazan kids ...they were superb."

"The majority of them took to lacrosse like ducks to water and soon there were many kids wanting to have a go!"

A Lacrosse Enthusiast

Sohail has recently returned from Palestine but planning his medical and sporting comeback!

"I thoroughly enjoyed my Fridays, which were spent on the beach with these fantastic kids. When I return to Gaza in September, I intend to continue this beach experience with the Gazans…..the next convoy due in Gaza from UK is going to bring another 20 lacrosse sticks so I can start a proper lacrosse school and maybe one day we can have a Palestine team playing in the World Championships!"

To donate to MiST click here > Donate

First Limb Reconstruction Unit (LRU) in West Bank

A Report by Dr. Kostas Giannikas - MiST Surgeon

In the aftermath of the Israeli bombing in 2009, Greek MiST were sent to Gaza in April 2009. Access was denied to Gaza by the Israelis, so to utilize the team, Dr Kostas Giannikas and Dr Androniki Drakou were asked to visit the West Bank to assess if MiST was needed in this region.

There in Nablus, the team met with Dr. Khalil Issa, an Orthopod who is currently the Deputy Dean of the newly founded medical school of the An-Najah University.

"After a long period of chatting, we created the 'National Reconstruction Unit of Palestine'. The know how and the training is provided by MiST via myself, Khalil Issa (Director of the Unit), and Dr. Mazen Abdul (Senior Specialist). Dr Ravi is the junior trainee who is attached to the Unit."

"The Unit holds an outpatient clinic once every week - every Wednesday - and we have operating sessions approximately every 6-8 weeks, which covers approx. 6 major cases. It is becoming increasingly more known in the West Bank area and we already have a waiting list. It has also received quite a bit of publicity, not only within the geographical limits of Palestine, but also neighbouring countries."

 The MiST Team at Work.

"The future is also quite bright. We are planning 2 sport and arthroscopy fellowships that hopefully will start within the next year in the currently built University hospital. We are still looking for a arthroscopy specialist to help out with this plan."

"In the following trip (in two weeks) we will be having a fellow from Greece who wants to gain some expertise in Ilizarov surgery, and we have planned for a Theatre Nurse to come over in October to upgrade the theatre provision of the hospital where we are currently working."
"The best thing about this project is that we are fairly economic (travelling expenses are paid by the University Hospital), and we are very flexible as we are really a very small team."

The Ilizarov Frame

One of the technologies MiST employ is the Ilizarov frame used to treat complex bone fractures.

The Ilizarov fixator is an external limb device system consisting of a series of rings and wires, which is used as part of limb reconstructive and limb lengthening surgery.

The frame and wires cost approximately £4000, however MiST source many donated frames suitable for second use and beyond.
Our medics donate their time and we source funding for additional costs - therefore MiST are able to offer high cost, highly skilled and high tech surgery to some of the poorest people in the world.

A key feature of all MiST projects is the education of medics abroad. MiST are able to engage experts from many countries via multi-disciplinary teaching methods.

Below is a short animation showing how the frame works over time.



Ilizarov Frame
source: MARTIN L., FARRELL M., LAMBRENOS K. & NAYAGAM D. (2003) Journal of
Advanced Nursing 43(5), 478–487
Living with the Ilizarov frame: adolescent perceptions

"During reconstructive surgery an osteotomy is performed, and this creates a small break in the bone which is required to provide a space potential for the promotion of bone growth.
The Ilizarov frame is then built around the affected limb. The first stage of frame construction involves inserting a series of thin tension wires, called Kirchner wires, through the bone to be lengthened. The blood and nerve supplies to the soft tissue are not compromised because of the small diameter of the
wires (Nance & Mardjetko 1994).
These wires are then attached to two or more metal rings placed around the limb, and these rings are then connected to telescopic rods. These rods enable the length of the whole frame to be extended."

"Following application of the frame, the patient requires a short period of bedrest to allow for resolution of surgical responses before the process of limb lengthening/correction is started. Approximately 7 days after application the telescopic rods are lengthened by turning a series of nuts, a process known as distraction. Through distraction the two ends of bone are pulled a short distance apart. This creates a small gap, which then stimulates bone growth to occupy the space created (osteogenesis)."

"Typically, the amount of distraction exerted is 1 mm/day. The Ilizarov frame remains in position for approximately 4–12 months, the time being determined by the total amount of limb lengthening or correction required. The Ilizarov technique can be used successfully to stimulate limb lengthening
by as much as 5 cm."