The first joint replacements ever done in Tonga were completed successfully at Vaiola Hospital on the first day of the Rotary-led arthroplasty visit.
The first operation of the day was a right total knee replacement. It went smoothly, and it made history as the first joint replacement performed in the Kingdom.
The team planned to do a total hip replacement next. However, one of the instrument trays for the hip hadn't cleared sterilisation, so they moved it to later in the day. Instead, the team went ahead with a partial hip replacement for an elderly woman who had broken her hip. That operation was also a success.
Between cases, orthopaedic surgeon Dr John van Dalen went down to the clinic to see patients. At three o'clock he was back in theatre for a right total hip replacement on an elderly man with severe arthritis in his hip.
"Everything went extremely well," John said. "Surgery was straightforward, and the nursing staff were excellent and supportive."
The team finished at about six o'clock and went out for dinner at a local restaurant. Vaiola Hospital's head surgeon joined them and kindly paid for the meal and drinks.
"So a good day, and we're very thankful," John said. "Everything went according to plan."
On day two, the team hopes to do two knee replacements and probably a trauma case.
About the visit
The volunteer team from New Zealand is led by Dr John van Dalen, with anaesthetist Dr Geoff Spenser, nurses Lynette Sweetman and Lydia Sargent, and Steve Flaunty on logistics. They're working alongside Vaiola Hospital's own surgical and nursing staff, and about 10 hip and knee replacements are planned this week.
The visit follows eight years of work and fundraising by the Rotary Clubs of Whanganui North and Nuku'alofa, with support from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church and its Rapid Relief Team. Together they raised more than US$500,000 to build three operating theatres and renovate the hospital's sterilisation department. Zimmer Biomet supplies the prostheses at the best possible rate.
We'll post more updates as the week goes on.