For two decades, the EMAS Ecuador team called Operation Esperanza, led by Dr. Thomas Greidanus, has been changing lives in Ecuador. In February of 2018, a team of over 60 volunteers—medical professionals, dental professionals, and support personnel—will travel to the city of Cuenca, Ecuador, to once again provide free orthopaedic surgery and dental care to poor Ecuadoreans who don’t have the financial means to access these services.

Operation Esperanza consists of two orthopaedic teams and a dental team. The adult orthopaedic team performs hip and knee replacement surgeries on adults with painful and often severely debilitating hip and knee conditions. During a typical mission, 40 hip and knee replacements are done. The patients and their families are always extremely grateful and quick to praise God.

The paediatric orthopaedic team performs surgery on children with hip dysplasia (abnormal hip development), club feet, and a variety of other conditions. A large number of adult and child patients are also seen in consultation.

The dental team provides treatment and preventative care to children in rural schools as well as children in Cuenca’s orphanages and to disadvantaged adults in Cuenca’s shelters.

Along with carrying out the surgeries and dental care, team members also strive to educate the medical/dental communities and the public about best practices for both the treatment and prevention of orthopaedic and dental conditions.

EMAS Ecuador team is raising funds for sterilization equipment while we wait to travel again after the pandemic.