Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery:
Maxillofacial surgery is performed to correct a wide spectrum of diseases, injuries and defects in the head, neck, face, jaws and the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial region. It is a recognized international surgical specialty. While in Ghana, HHAF doctors have worked on several severely advanced Clef lip and Clef Palate cases as well as Ameloblastoma cases. Ameloblastoma cases are slightly common in the states and start as small and manageable tumors that are easily removed and treated at a significantly less advanced state. In Ghana issues of transportation, money and healthcare, (that we often take for granted) cause many of these cases to develop into critical states. Because they are in the mouth, they are cumbersome, disfiguring, inhibit eating and slowly destroy the jaw. The surgery is major and requires jaw resuscitation and reconstruction. At one point the jaw is completely removed. While in Ghana, the HHAF team has removed severely disfiguring Ameloblastoma cases that ranged from the size of a large strawberry to an apple.
Pediatric Urology:
Pediatric urology involves management of genital and urinary problems that occur in children. A special emphasis on developmental problems affecting the kidneys, bladder, urethra or genital tract. Common conditions treated include hypospadias (urine passage ending short of the end of the penis), hydronephrosis (obstruction of urine flow from the kidneys), cryptorchidism (undescended testes), reflux (backup of urine from the bladder toward the kidneys), and intersex (incomplete or otherwise abnormal development of the genital organs.) During HHAF's trips to Ghana, HHAF has been able to correct these defects in numerous children. If not corrected these defects can lead to serious medical and psychological issues that can often hinder a child's development.
General Surgery:
Despite its name, General Surgery is a surgical specialty that focuses on abdominal organs, e.g., intestines including esophagus, stomach, small bowel, colon, liver, pancreas, gallbladder and bile ducts, and often the thyroid gland (depending on the availability of head and neck surgery specialists). They also deal with diseases involving the skin, breast, and hernias. These surgeons deal mainly in the Torso.
Arthroscopic Surgery:
Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure in which an examination and sometimes treatment of damage of the interior of a joint is performed using an arthroscope, a type of endoscope that is inserted into the joint through a small incision. Arthroscopic procedures can be performed either to evaluate or to treat many orthopedic conditions including torn floating cartilage, torn surface cartilage, ACL reconstruction, and trimming damaged cartilage. These types of surgeries allow a person to walk without a pain they may have suffered from for a lifetime.