Comfort Releases First Patient During Continuing Promise 2009
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS090416-20
Release Date: 4/16/2009 3:35:00 PM
By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Marcus Suorez, Continuing Promise Public Affairs
PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti (NNS) -- The first patient treated aboard the hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) during Continuing Promise 2009 was discharged April 15.
Thirteen-month-old Neritza Dor returned to her home town of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, with her mother Judette Dacius after having a three hour anoplasty to repair an imperforated anus.
"I've praised the Lord, because America is very helpful to us here," said Judette. "My daughter spent two months at General Hospital and [received] nothing. She spent two days on American ship and was healthy."
An imperforated anus is a miscommunication of the colon with the rectum resulting in an obstruction of intestines which didn't allow her to relieve herself, said Navy Cmdr. Shaw Safford, the pediatric surgeon aboard Comfort who performed the surgery.
"Basically the large bowel was connected into the vagina instead of the [rectum]," he said.
Neritza had seen doctors prior to her visit to Comfort. When she was nine days old, she was diagnosed with the medical condition. To correct the problem, Haitian doctors cut a hole in Neritza's side and linked it with the intestine to allow her to excrete bodily waste.
Safford said this sort of procedure is common. However, a special bag is normally attached to the intestine to catch waste. Neritza's hospital didn't carry the necessary bags so a cloth was used in its place. "Using a cloth isn't necessarily life threatening," Safford said. "It's just a huge hassle, takes a lot of upkeep and is embarrassing."
The main medical concern was the breakdown of skin and tissue around the area where the excrement was caught by the cloth. To fix the problem, Neritza underwent a three hour anoplasty surgery to reconstruct her anus.
"We took where the colon was connected into the vagina, and moved the muscles to where the [rectum] should have been," Safford said. "The operation from start to finish was perfect."
Although the surgery had been successfully completed, Safford said there would need to be upkeep. "We had to get dilators to make sure scar tissue didn't build up over the [rectum]," he said.
Dilators are placed in the anus to keep it from healing shut. At the time, Comfort didn't carry the necessary equipment to continue the treatment.
Storekeeper 2nd Class (SW/AW) Cristina Gilson took it upon herself to make sure the dilators were acquired. "We had to look all over to find the right parts," Gilson said. "In the end we had to outsource to different companies to get all of the parts."
Gilson said they worked endlessly to get the piece needed. "It was a lot of work," she said, "but when I saw her and her mother after the surgery, I was overwhelmed. I was so happy I could be part of that and do something to help and make a difference."
After the surgery, Gilson presented Neritza and her mother with a teddy bear she bought.
"Americans are so nice," said Judette, Neritza's mother. "I never met Americans before but heard from family that they were hospitable, and I'm impressed and happy to come here and see it's true."
Without America, Neritza would never have been able to live a full and healthy life, Judette said.
"I thank America so much and congratulations to America for helping the people of Haiti and all the other nations America will help," Judette said. "I will always pray to God for America and everyone aboard this ship and pray that you can continue helping people in all of the nations so they can feel the happiness I feel this day."
For more information on Continuing Promise, visit www.southcom.mil.
For more news from Continuing Promise, visit www.navy.mil/local/cp/.
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