The intervention was carried out at the República del Ecuador hospital on October 28. The patient is in recovery, he already sits down and takes steps.
At 73, Víctor Serrano longs to go back to walking, exercising and playing soccer with his older adult friends, as he did until about three weeks ago. October 9 was the last day that he toured Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos, and did his normal routine at home, where when he got up from the furniture he tripped over his shoe and fell.
In the República del Ecuador hospital, on that island, they confirmed that he had a fractured hip. “We were worried because they told us that he needed a surgery that had not been done here, we did not know if they could treat him,” said his stepdaughter, Nelly Pillajo, grateful and happy that her father was operated on at this center on Thursday 28, and is already in recovery. “You sit down, you take little steps,” she added excitedly.
The complexity of this case occurred because a part of Víctor’s hip was broken and he needed a prosthesis, explained Alberto García, director of the hospital, who maintained that this is the first time that this procedure has been performed to replace a segment of the bone with a prosthesis. To do this, he assured, they had to make the purchase of this device for a very small amount.
“We take on the challenge because we have committed and capable human talent,” said García, who stressed that this procedure is a milestone in the health of the Archipelago. He added that the faster the surgery, the faster the recovery and the lower the risks.
Health insurance to enter Galapagos will be required from August
García considers that Víctor’s healthy state was an advantage in performing this procedure, since he does not have any chronic disease.
In about two months it is estimated that Victor will be able to resume his activities. “He already wants to walk, he already wants to go out with my mother every morning, they always walked for an hour or two,” said Serrano’s daughter.
In these cases of hip fracture, he added, the transfer of patients should be avoided because it is uncomfortable for those affected, implies a risk and the cost of mobilization is higher. Air travel to the mainland, he added, costs between $ 15,000 and $ 20,000.
A month, on average, about four patients from this hospital and from the center of San Cristóbal Island are usually transferred to the mainland, García said. Most of these referrals are given because they need neurological specialists or tests, such as tomography, which are not available in this second-level center, which has a care coverage of 30,000 inhabitants.
The República del Ecuador hospital has an operating room, where two or three surgeries are performed a day, such as gynecological (caesarean sections), general (appendices, gallbladder, among others) and also trauma. (I)
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
