Houston Surgeons Restore Mobility, Big Smile
For Guatemalan Woman with Rare Benign Tumor
Baylor College of Medicine orthopedic surgeon
Brian Parsley, M.D., examines the giant cell tumor
on Eva Nidia Carias' right leg before her successful
operation. (Photo by Natalie Wong Camarata)
These days, Eva Nidia Carias' smile is bigger than ever – thanks to a pair of Houston doctors, including an orthopaedic surgeon at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston.
Carias, now 22, was diagnosed seven years ago with a giant cell benign tumor inside her thigh bone. The tumor prevented full mobility. To make matters worse, the complex surgery she desperately needed is not available in Guatemala, where she lives.
Brian S. Parsley, M.D., assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, first noticed Carias during a recent mission trip with “Faith In Practice,” a non-profit, interfaith mission organization that provides care to the poor in Guatemala through short-term surgical, medical and dental mission trips and health education programs.
Parsley wanted to help Carias, but he couldn’t do it alone.
"Dr. Parsley approached me about a case of a young woman from Guatemala with a giant cell tumor of the right distal femur, and asked me if I would help," said Rex Marco, M.D., a visiting associate professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the UT Medical School at Houston. "I had seen cases like this before, and sometimes the tumor is so big the leg needs to be amputated. We needed to bring her in for further examination."
Orthopedic surgeon Rex Marco,
M.D., visiting associate professor
in the UT Medical School at
Houston.
Marco worked with Parsley to review images of the tumor and find the best solution for Carias – which they determined would be to remove the tumor and replace Carias' distal femur with a metal prosthetic. Now they had to find the prosthetic.
"We called Biomet, the company that supplies the prosthetic parts, and they agreed to supply the entire implant," Marco said. "They donated a special implant that continuously compresses against the bone, which helps prevent loosening of the implant."
With the help of the Houston surgeons, Faith In Practice, Consul General of Guatemala José Barillas-Trennert and Continental Airlines, Carias and her mother flew to Houston, where her surgery was performed free of charge this month at Foundation Surgical Hospital.
"Dr. Parsley brought Eva's X-rays and information in to see if we could help," said Ellen Peterson of Faith In Practice. "We had done charity like this in the past case-by-case through our affiliation with the medical community, but it's not common that it involves taking the patient to another county."
Carias was filled with emotion when she arrived in Houston. "I've always been happy. I've never cried – never felt sorry for myself, even when others made fun of me. I know God made me like this for a reason. It is a miracle that I was brought here to Houston," Carias said in Spanish.
A hopeful Eva (right) with her
mother, Rosalinda Garcia Castillo,
at Foundation Surgical Hospital.
(Photo by Natalie Wong Camarata)
Eva's mother has shared her daughter’s pain for many years. "For (the first) 15 years of her life she had not gone to see the doctor," Carias’ mother, Rosalinda Garcia Castillo said in Spanish. "I was so happy to hear of this wonderful thing that was going to be done for my daughter. May God repay all of these wonderful people."
"The surgery went very well. We were able to save the knee with her soft tissue," Marco said. "Before the case, she had limited motion, and thankfully we were able to save the muscle and cover the implant. The operation didn't need any additional plastic surgery."
The implant from Biomet, Inc. valued at about $18,000, is expected to last 10 years or more, Marco said.
Carias will soon be able to put her full weight on the extremity, but her doctors plan to keep the area still or immobilized during the initial recovery process. When she leaves the hospital after a week, she next will begin rehabilitation.
Carias and her mother will be returning to Guatemala by the end of the month, where Eva will be able to live with full mobility and take a much more active role in the life of her own daughter.
“My daughter is so healthy – she is the greatest joy in my life. Miracles are possible," Carias said. "My biggest dream is to see my daughter grow up. I'm so thankful, and may God repay these wonderful angels."