THE SAVIOR HANDS AUTHOR: ZURA PAOLA AGREDO TAPIAS

Hundreds of cases have passed through his hands, cases that many saw as lost but to which he gave new hope.

His name is León Mora, a doctor from the CES University, a specialist in orthopedics from the Pontifical Bolivarian University and currently one of the most recognized orthopedists by other specialists worldwide.

It can literally be said that Mora has saved many people from losing one of their limbs after an accident, a war wound and also people with congenital deformities, to whom others say “there is nothing to be done.”

EL MUNDO spoke with the specialist, who told us about his experience, why he has been recognized as one of the best orthopedists in the world and what techniques he uses.

-HOW WERE YOUR BEGINNINGS IN ORTHOPEDICS?

“After working for four years as a general practitioner, I began to study orthopedics and traumatology at the Pontifical Bolivarian University and well, during my orthopedics career in residency, I oriented myself more than anything to doing the part of reconstructive surgery, the management of external fixation, including part of the thesis work was on bone lengthening (Limb Lengthening) and limb reconstruction. And from there we started the career or the subspecialty towards the part of reconstruction and bone lengthening (Limb Lengthening).”

-WHAT IS THE BONE LENGTHENING (LIMB LENGTHENING) METHOD?

“We do it with external fixators temporarily for a few months. A cut is made in the bone or an osteotomy where the deformity is or where we are going to do the lengthening, and the bone is progressively lengthened, one millimeter per day, and in this way we are able to either lengthen the limb or correct the deformity. In this way we are able to align a limb, correct a deformity in rotation, in cancellation or lengthen the limb that is shorter and achieve an equality of limb length.”

-HOW HAS THE WORK WITH MILITARY VICTIMS OF WAR BEEN?

“The part of reconstructive surgery includes a wide field within orthopedic surgery and complex management of traumatic diseases, including injuries from anti-personnel mines. One of the clinics where I work is the Pablo Tobón Uribe Hospital, it is a reference center for Colombian soldiers and there we have had the opportunity to save limbs, reconstruct complex trauma from mine wounds, as we know these wounds from explosions cause serious damage to soft tissues and the bone part, and so we have to dedicate a significant amount of time and perform complex surgeries to save and truly leave a functional limb, which is the final objective.”

-IT COULD BE SAID THAT YOUR WORK IS A NEW HOPE FOR YOUR PATIENTS…

“Part of the growth of the study of reconstructive surgery is to already manage very complex lesions of both soft and bone tissues, segmental defects or long-term infections, where these patients have consulted on multiple occasions other orthopedists or other groups where they do not have the experience or even the infrastructure or logistical capacity, because that includes a multidisciplinary team to achieve limb reconstruction, so they come and we offer them to do limb salvage surgery to improve their quality of life and remove those infections of many years or those severe deformities, which in other places they do absolutely nothing or they tell them that the only solution is an amputation. And in most cases if the foot is functional, if the foot has sensation, the reconstructive part of soft tissues and bone reconstruction can be done. So that’s what we are doing, saving limbs, doing bone lengthenings (Limb Lengthening), correcting severe deformities or sequelae of severe trauma from traffic accidents and war wounds, we also have a very important part in the management of congenital diseases.”

-WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE TO BE CONSIDERED ONE OF THE BEST ORTHOPEDISTS IN THE WORLD?

“It’s an appreciation, there is no such specific ranking, but based on how we work in the application of these methods or we are developing and teaching the method throughout the world, well, they categorize you at a level of experience in the management of complex cases. So I am honored to know that I am one of the recognized figures in reconstructive surgery and deformity correction (…). The recognition is given to you as you become known and are invited to symposia, congresses, and courses throughout the world. So there is already a panel of experts on the subject of reconstructive surgery and, fortunately, we are included in that select group of experts in the world in the management of deformity correction.”