A leading international designer, manufacturer, and distributor of innovative orthopedic implants and instruments has donated total hip and knee replacements to a hospital in Hefei China, 300 miles inland from Shanghai.
Background
Orthopedic Surgeon, Freddy Achecar Jr., MD, medical director for the WellStar Douglas Hospital Center for Joint Replacement in Douglasville, Georgia, was inspired by his son’s Eagle Scout project. Son Adam, 17, wanted to incorporate his father’s work of restoring movement to patients who suffered from orthopedic conditions, and make treatment available to individuals who did not otherwise have access to such care. The result was that Achecar Snr donated his services to help patients with limited income needing knee or hip replacement surgery, utilising implants and instrumentation donated by United Orthopedic Corporation (UOC), a leading international designer, manufacturer, and distributor of innovative, regulatory compliant orthopedic implants and instrument sets used by surgeons around the globe.
The program was designed to provide patients with disabilities and the elderly, as well as low-income households, with joint replacement treatment they may otherwise not have had access to on their own.
Dr. Achecar spent a week performing seven joint replacements: five hip replacements and two knee replacements. His first patient was a 72-year old chicken farmer who had been bedridden as a result of his arthritis and needed a hip replacement. To his amazement, the very next day he felt no pain and went home to tell his wife. As a thank you, he returned to the hospital with a basket of eggs fresh from his farm, saying “this is our gift to you.”
Physician comments
We are very grateful to be given this opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of these patients by helping them get the care they need for their joint pain,” said Dr. Achecar. “It has been an amazing journey and experience. We are thankful to UOC and their team for their commitment to patient care.”
Company comments
“We were thrilled to have had the opportunity to give back to communities in need and work with a leading orthopedic surgeon,” said Calvin Lin, President of UOC USA, a subsidiary of UOC located in Irvine, CA. “There are villages, towns and cities in China located in remote areas, limiting patients’ and healthcare professionals’ access to optimal treatment. Working with Dr. Achecar to improve the lives of these patients has been wonderful.”
Source: PR Newswire