Four medical staff members from USC Verdugo Hills Hospital traveled to Honduras for the 20th annual Operation Walk.

Lawrence Dorr, MD, professor of clinical orthopaedic surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, founded the program to provide free surgical care and education in developing countries that have limited means for treating debilitating orthopaedic ailments.

The team visited 34 patients and performed 46 joint replacement surgeries (both hip and knee), 12 of which were bilateral.

Paul Gilbert, director of orthopaedic operative services at USC-VHH and clinical assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery, also was on the Operation Walk Physician Education Team and taught hands-on techniques to Honduran nurses, students and therapists.

“This was my 11th Operation Walk, and each one has been an unforgettable experience,” Gilbert said. “As members of a medical center at the forefront of technology and patient care, it is our responsibility to heal not only those who come through our hospital doors, but also those who are in other parts of the world without access or options.”

— Mary Dacuma