Indiana Plastic Surgery Blog

The FDA just expanded clearance for Botox, approving the drug to be used as a treatment for spasticity in muscles of the elbow, wrist and fingers. Such conditions occur frequently after a stroke, injury or debilitating disease.

They specified that Botox treatment should not be considered a substitute for physical therapy or the “usual standard of care rehabilitation regimens.”

It seems that treatment applications for Botox are continually expanding. While Botox is best known for cosmetic usage — typically the treatment of forehead wrinkles or “frown lines” –there are several therapeutic treatments now being offered by physicians today. Excessive sweating, cervical dystonia and muscle spasm are just a few of those alternative treatments.

• Botox in Munster, Indiana
• More information from the FDA

Earlobe repair is a common procedure performed by facial plastic surgeons and several other physicians. The procedure is necessary because mishaps frequently occur with earrings, leading to an unsightly tear on the earlobe.

If you have experienced such a mishap, Dr. Robinson may be able to repair your earlobe quickly and easily. However, before and after earlobe repair, there are steps you should take to prevent these accidents.

How to Prevent Earlobe Tears/Earlobe Trauma

(via Dr. Joe Niamtu’s “11 Pearls for Earlobe Repair”)

• Avoid wearing heavy earrings for long periods of time
• Remove earrings during certain situations: using the telephone, at the hair salon, at a rock concert, etc.
• Be aware that small children and babies may be attracted to earrings
• Remove your earrings before removing upper clothing, like sweaters
• Do not allow children to wear small loop or dangling earrings

WGN News interviews two of the Munster doctors from Community Hospital, including Dr. Robinson, who traveled to Haiti in the first week of March.

Story aired March 7, 2010.

Today I thought I would give everyone some insight into what our typical day is like. It usually starts around 6 am when people start getting up to shower. This is followed by a cup of coffee at the Haiti starbucks (see picture) which is little more than a coffee pot under a tent.

Breakfast consists of a power bar and we then convene for our morning briefing. This is conducted by the surgeon standing on top off the box.

We then break to go to the OR to start our day.

Lunch is delivered by truck and consists of styrofoam containers with mystery contents. I have to say I have tried a few and they are not that bad. We then finish the day either in the OR, rounding or in the clinic.

We usually have some time before dinner to relax and chat. Dinner usually consists of meals ready to eat (MRE), as displayed by Dr. Gore, the vegetarian meal was not bad, or the occasional BBQ held on the compound held by the UN.

We then usually catch up on the days events and lights out at 10:30pm.

Since this is our last day in Haiti, this will be my final blog. I hope all of you have enjoyed reading the blog as much as I have enjoyed writing it. We look forward to seeing everyone soon.

So long.

Yesterday a group of us went on a tour of Port Au Prince by taxi. As you can see by the pictures, the devestation is horrible. We witnessed people bathing in the street and sleeping under pieces of canvass.

One of our colleagues from Colombia told us that over 4500 students and faculty were killed when the university and several schools collapsed in the earthquake. This is an entire future generation of educated Haitains who no longer will be able to help bring Haitai out of it’s impoverished state.

The tour made us all appreciate how fortunate we are to live in the US. In addition, we each agreed that the problems we face day to day in our personal lives pale in comparison to what the present and future holds for the Haitain people. The people and images we each experienced will last with us forever.

Sent from my iPhone

Today’s blog is dedicated to the new friends we have made since arriving in Haiti. Several of the people we have met have returned for the second time since the earthquake. They are dedicated people from around the world who have taken time out of their personal lives to help in any way they can.

Olga, pictured with Dr. Chowdhury, is an anesthesiologist from the Medical College of Wisconsin, who has been working with our team since we arrived. She is very nice and a pleasure to work with in the OR.

Tejal is a rescue dog who Dr. Chowdhury and I have befriended. He is extremely friendly and very popular with the children. He and his trainer were here shortly after the earthquake on a rescue mission. His trainer has arranged to have one of the children, who is a bilateral amputee, flown to the US for furthur medical care. These are just some examples of the great people we have met.

This picture of me is with a young girl named Nohomie who I skin grafted earlier in the week. She lost both of her parents in the earthquake. She sustained fractures to both of her legs along with severe soft tissue injuries. She is usually shy with the staff however, is very engaging with the other children.

Lastly, we all want to thank everyone who has been following our trip and posting comments. We apprecite your interest and wonderful words of encouragement. We especially want to thank all of our friends and colleagues at The Community Hospital for their well wishes and support.

Until tomorrow.

Last night the final member of our team, Dr. Pellar, arrived. By this morning, he was in the OR, with Tina Harris CRNA and Dawn Cook, RN, helping take care of a patient with an intraabdominal infection.

Last night, Dr’s. Berkowitz, Chowdhury, and Gore, were in the OR obtaining IV access on a 1 month old who was dehydrated and unstable. Their efforts paid off as the baby is doing much better today.

Today I saw a patient who will be going to the OR, for a muscle flap, to cover a sacral pressure wound. She sustained her injury from being trapped under rubble from the earthquake for several days.

The best part of the day however, was when a patient I skin grafted on my first day here, thanked me for what we were doing to help her and her country. She had lost both her parents in the eartquake but still managed to remain hopeful about the future. Her spirit has been inspirational for all of us.

Today I met a 2 year old Haitian boy who was found sleeping in a garbage dump. He was brought to the hospital for an evaluation and is doing remarkably well. The best however, is that one of the relief workers is in the process of trying to adopt him.

Today our team was busy in the adult and children’s wound care clinics. Several patients were evaluated for skin grafting and repair of fractures. We also had another full OR day. We have met some great people from around the country who are truly dedicated to helping the Haitain people.

Tonight we are on for a treat as the UN is scheduled to come to our compound for a cookout. We are all looking forward to this. Until tomorrow…