A team of surgeons from the Office of Workplace Accident, Sickness, and Maternity Insurance (OFATMA) hospital in Cap-Haitien successfully performed a rare and complex brachial plexus surgery(1), restoring hope and mobility to an injured patient.

The operation, called neurotization, involves transferring healthy nerves to damaged ones to partially restore arm function. This is an extremely delicate procedure, a feat usually reserved for a few specialized centers abroad.

Under the direction of Dr. Hubert Pierre-Louis, Head of the Orthopedics Department, and with the participation of Drs. Sindy Michel, Dudely's Ambroise, and residents Carnold Andrévil, Wilfrid Séptimus, Grégory Élysée, Valens Orélus, and Marc-Obens Charles, this procedure, lasting over nine hours, is a first.

Vikerson Garnier, Director General of OFATMA, praised this great medical achievement. "This is a shining example that, despite the challenges, our doctors and healthcare teams are capable of achieving feats that bring honor to Haiti. OFATMA is proud to host and support these talented individuals, who demonstrate that Haitian medicine can reach the highest level when the minimum conditions are met."

OFATMA warmly congratulates the entire medical and paramedical team in Cap-Haïtien for this feat, which will go down in the annals of national medicine.

The 37-year-old patient, paralyzed in his left arm for more than nine months following a serious road accident, is now beginning a rehabilitation process that should allow him to gradually regain some motor functions.

This medical achievement demonstrates the skill, faith, and determination of Haitian healthcare professionals, but also serves as a reminder of the urgent need to provide the country's hospitals with adequate resources so that more lives can be transformed. The Director General reaffirmed OFATMA's commitment to strengthening its infrastructure and providing its teams with the necessary resources to continue saving lives and pushing the boundaries of medicine in Haiti.

(1) Brachial Plexus :

The brachial plexus corresponds to the set of nerve roots of the upper limb that emerge from the spinal cord at the level of the cervical spine. They unite to form a true nerve plexus and lead to branches of divisions, each of which ultimately constitutes the various nerves innervating the entire upper limb, from the shoulder to the hand.

HL/ S/ HaitiLibre