Surgeon undertakes heartfelt work

Dr. Suzy Steelman, retired general surgeon and Bird Key resident, volunteered to spend a week in March, in the Dominican Republic, working with Hearts Afire, a Christian medical volunteer organization.

Dr. Joe Pecoraro, a Bradenton surgeon, is a co-founder of Hearts Afire and was a colleague of Steelman’s during their residencies at University Hospital, in Newark, N.J.

“Shocking” is her description of what she found at the 10-bed hospital, in Las Terrenas, a resort area on the Atlantic Ocean northeast of the of Santo Domingo.

“I couldn’t believe what I saw on our tour of the hospital,” she said. “The birthing room had a table and a floor lamp, both rusty. The designated operating room had a table with a magnificent overhead light. (But there was) one problem. There were no bulbs for it.”

About 15 volunteers were in Steelman’s group. Some were assigned to the hospital and the remainder assisted at clinics or wherever needed.

“I was preparing to do my first surgery, removing a large cyst from a patient’s neck, and I pumped the pedal for water for my hands,” she said. “Nothing happened. I tried another. Nothing. The hospital had no running water.”

Improvising, Steelman set up an IV with saline solution and had it dripped onto her hands.

“Despite the conditions, I wanted to do my best to keep everything as sterile possible,” she said.

Operating in a side room, which was quite dark, Steelman asked that a window be opened for more light.  As she turned to begin the procedure to remove the cyst, a rooster jumped onto the windowsill and let out a loud cock-a-doodle-doo.

Post-op care doesn’t exist at the hospital; families provide it. Also, the hospital has no sheets. Patients bring them when admitted.

“Sometimes patients leave almost immediately (after their procedures),” Steelman said. “One of my hysterectomy patients went home the next day, riding on the back of a motor bike with her husband and son.”

On the first day at the hospital there was another shock. The anesthesiology equipment didn’t work, and the anesthesiologist spent the entire day fixing the problem.

“My experience was very rewarding,” Steelman said. “The patients were so grateful for our help. The poverty was unbelievable. It’s hard to imagine that in the world today, it still exists to this extent and services to help are so limited.”

In 2009, Steelman and her family moved as full-time residents to Sarasota. Previously she had been head surgeon of a four-person group in Mount Pleasant, N.J., for 16 years, until a health issue led to her retirement. Married to Michael Yourison, an importer of Italian products, the couple will be spending several weeks this summer in Umbria, Italy.

Steelman is fluent in Italian, because she spent a portion of her medical student years at the University of Padua, near Venice.

Later this year, Steelman will again look into the volunteer opportunities with Hearts Afire or other organizations, for which her talents can be used.

“I definitely will volunteer again,” she said. “The rewards of being able to help are overwhelming.”