1. Why did you decide to become a spine surgeon?

I went to train in spinal surgery because in my hospital there was no spinal surgeon and we had many spinal trauma cases with sporadic treatment and less than encouraging results.

 

2. Where did you get trained?

I spent a year (2,000 hours), at the Spine Unit of the Traumatology and Orthopedics "I have been inspired by many Latin American spinal surgeons who, with their experience and knowledge shared in the different AOSpine courses, have helped me to better understand the spine and to solve its problems."Hospital of the Lomas Verdes Hospital in Naucalpán de Juárez, Mexico. The period was from July 1997 to June 1998. My mentor and full professor was Dr Juan Vicente Méndez Huerta, a spinal surgeon with 30 years of experience. He was the service head and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Mexican Society of Orthopedics. In addition, from June to November 2003, I worked with spinal deformities at the Scoliosis Module of the Children's Shriners Hospital, Mexico Unit, under the supervision of Dr Alfredo Cardoso Monterrubio. Later on, I spent September 2008 at the Institute of Biological Sciences (IBC) of the Autonomous University of Guadalajara in Jalisco, Mexico, under the supervision of Dr Antonio Soriano Sánchez.

 

3. How do you train today/make sure you stay up to date?

I keep myself updated by reading scientific journals, internet and attending AOSpine Spine Master Courses, mainly in Latin America. I also take online AO Latin American (AOLAT) courses. In addition, I believe that books have invaluable information on pathologies and surgical techniques, so I still use them, providing they are up-to-date…books on spine from different authors and also the AOSpine Handbook and the AOSpine Master Series.

 

4. Who inspires/inspired you?

Two people inspired and greatly influenced my work and love for spinal surgery: Dr Juan Vicente Méndez Huerta, for his encyclopedic knowledge of anatomy, the different spine pathologies, the reasoning to address them and his kindness in performing spinal surgeries; and Dr German Ochoa, a Colombian spinal surgeon, for his integrity, dedication and unconditional love for the vertebral spine. Additionally, I have been inspired by many "Due to economic issues in the country we use little technology, but in general we have the basic systems and instruments to solve up to 95 percent of all spine pathologies, with quite acceptable and satisfactory results if you compare with the results obtained in the industrialized countries and in some Latin American countries more developed than Guatemala, such as Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Argentina and Brazil."Latin American spinal surgeons who, with their experience and knowledge shared in the different AOSpine courses, have helped me to better understand the spine and to solve its problems.

 

5. Can you tell a bit in general about spine surgery in your country?

Using standard procedures, we perform almost every kind of spine surgery, including surgeries for degenerative and infectious pathologies, tumors and deformities. Due to economic issues in the country we use little technology, but in general we have the basic systems and instruments to solve up to 95 percent of all spine pathologies, with quite acceptable and satisfactory results if you compare with the results obtained in the industrialized countries and in some Latin American countries more developed than Guatemala, such as Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Argentina and Brazil.

 

6. What does your typical work day look like?

In my practice and in the hospital, we usually have a weekly schedule: Mondays and Fridays we do spine surgeries; Tuesdays and Wednesdays we assess patients in outpatient consultation; and Thursdays we do case presentation during our weekly medical rounds at the orthopedics department of the Roosevelt Hospital. Besides, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we check on the patients at bedside, discuss patients in consultation with other services, study cases and plan future surgeries.

 

7. What are your most frequent operations?

Ninety percent of our cases and spine surgeries are trauma. The rest are degenerative, tumors and infections with only 2 percent deformities.

 

8. What are the biggest challenges in your job?

To get better final results in solving the different problems of the spine, due to the knowledge, reasoning and experience coming from almost 20 years of experience in "I see them in Guatemala and Costa Rica. Guatemala has more experience and more specialists in spine pathology and Costa Rica has better economic resources and better technology making it easier for young doctors to learn their trade."performing only and exclusively spine surgeries.

 

9. What do you consider the biggest challenges for spine surgeons in your country?

I believe that the main challenges of spinal surgeons in general is to work in a community with a culture that still fears spinal surgery too much. But at the same time, it is a strength because you can see extremely complicated cases, which are a real challenge to solve.

 

10. Where do you see the biggest opportunities for spine surgeons in Guatemala (and in Central America in general)?

I see them in Guatemala and Costa Rica. Guatemala has more experience and more specialists in spine pathology and Costa Rica has better economic resources and better technology making it easier for young doctors to learn their trade.

 

11. What advice would you give to a young surgeon?

I would tell them theoretical knowledge is the cornerstone for understanding and solving spinal problems and that they must be patient, since only long-term practice experience can turn them into great specialists.

 

"AOSpine has helped me greatly to improve my practice thanks to its dynamic and participatory methodology and the high quality and updated bibliographic information shared in its courses."12. What does being a member of AOSpine mean to you and how has AOSpine influenced your career?

I came to AOSpine about ten years ago directly motivated by Doctors German Ochoa and Luiz Vialle and since then I have been an active participant. AOSpine has helped me greatly to improve my practice thanks to its dynamic and participatory methodology and the high quality and updated bibliographic information shared in its courses.

 

13. Why would you recommend becoming a member of AOSpine?

Because being an AOSpine member brings a lot of knowledge and establishes ties between members of the entire community of spine surgery specialists around the world, helping you to perform homogeneous and standardized treatments

 

14. Where do you practice (this will be used as biographical information at the end of the story)

I have been continuously and exclusively practicing spine surgery since 1998 in private practice and at the public Guatemala City-based Roosevelt Hospital, at the High Specialty Unit of Vertebral Spine Surgery, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology.

 

 

 

Luis Fernando Cruz Sánchez, MD

Traumatologist/spine specialist

Head of the High Specialty Unit of Spine Surgery

Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology of the Roosevelt Hospital.

Guatemala City, Guatemala