We are home and adjusted to the 8 hour time zone jet lag. This was a trip that exemplifies diligent planning combined with flexibility with events on the ground. Like the Jewish proverb, "We plan and God laughs". Half of the trip was to be in Western Kenyan and the last half on the coast. But the work at the 800 bed hospital on the coast fell apart----too long a story for this post. Sad for those needing the procedures on the coast but the additional patients in Western Kenya that were able to get their hearts fixed this spring were very grateful.
Below is the new and only cardiac catheterization lab in Western Kenya. You can see that these heart procedures require a mix of specialized people (anesthesia, radiology techs, catheterization lab nurses, ultrasound imaging specialists, interventional cardiologists, and scrub techs. The training over the years has resulted in 98% success rate and no cath lab deaths despite the high risk procedures-I think it's a God intervention.
The next picture is a rare one with me at the table. During the trip, I only had to scrub 3 times to help complete the procedure for 14 patients with the others done from "skin to skin" by the Kenyan team-our goal in each county is to work our way out of a job.
Below is Colleen with a young lady after a successful dilation of the pulmonary valve that regulates blood flow to the lungs. The patient's symptoms will be resolved in two days and she will have a full life.
I always have to teach some cardiac anatomy. For the patient above, as demonstrated below in the fluoroscopy shot we pass a wire from the subclavian vein (under the left clavicle/collarbone), through the right atrium and ventricle and out past the narrowed pulmonary valve, into the right main pulmonary artery. The patient is mildly asleep during this time and comforted by Colleen calming and praying for her.
Below is the team of amazing Kenyan cardiologists. ( Drs. Akwanalo, Lagat, and Kyang) We estimate that they will do 120-150 of these life saving valve procedures per year independently now with the completion of this teaching trip and we have not even taught coronary, pulmonary, and peripheral vascular procedures to them yet.
Eileen Nemec checks the heart ultrasound on a 6 year old with Pulmonary stenosis. The mother is standing by in the green gown.
Below, Colleen and Eileen Nemec (ultrasound cardiac imager) praying with a 32 yo school teacher. The spiritual and emotional support for patients and families before and after the surgery is fully integrated in our work overseas. We expect to get procedures of this level here in the US, but our patients in Africa feel that God has "touched" their hearts and the patients leave with a new commitment of what their creator wants them to do with their lives.
Our 32 yo school teacher post-Op. I normally show pictures of the cute kids, like our youngest, a 6 year old. This man represents influence in many lives. He is a caring husband, and father to an 8 and 10 year old. He is a talented science teacher. Pre-op, he could barely get to school and probably only had another year to teach and a handful of years to live. He has not been able to kick the soccer ball around with his kids for many years. After his mitral valve dilation he will now have a full career teaching and can finally play sports with his two boys. Martin is a good man and he also is appropriately grateful to God way more than grateful to us.
