Guest guest Posted July 26, 2005 Report Share Posted July 26, 2005 Publication Name: THE GAZETTE Publication Date: 06/18/2004 Headline: Ponseti's gentle method Byline: Erb Section: D Page: 1 Ponseti's gentle method Erb IOWA CITY … The graceful movements of a young girl as she dances and the blur of a middle-aged man as he runs past are sights that bring a smile to Dr. Ignacio Ponseti's lined face. Considered a legend by many at University Hospitals, the 90-year- old orthopaedic doctor has saved more than 16,000 children from the negative effects of idiopathic clubfeet … a birth defect where an infant is born with one or both of its feet twisted down and inward. Created more than 60 years ago, the Ponseti method of treatment was once scoffed at by pro-surgery doctors. The method consists of gentle manipulations to the deformed foot and a series of approximately five casts that gradually bend the feet and ankles back into the proper direction. In 1996, Ponseti published " Congenital Clubfeet: Fundamentals of Treatment, " a book detailing the method. Sitting in his office, Ponseti is surrounded by images of his 83- year-old wife, Helen; dozens of handcrafted thank-you cards; a giant black and white photograph of a dissected clubfoot; and a bookshelf dominated by 43 volumes of Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. " It's such a beautiful thing to see a crippled baby and be able to heal him, " Ponseti said, his face crinkling into a warm smile. " They come and they run and they send me cards. " However, there were some doctors that mocked Ponseti's ideas, he said, arguing that the method was not suitable for children living in more cosmopolitan areas such as New York City. Ponseti said they would tell him that the method worked in Iowa because " you wear big boots to go to these muddy fields. " But now, with Ponseti turning 90 June 3, the method is becoming nationally recognized as the best treatment for the condition. The Kaiser Permanente Medical Group, one of California's most prominent insurance companies, recently announced that it will only insure the Ponseti method. But for Dr. ph Buckwalter, it is not the Ponseti method that he admires. It is the man beyond the famed treatment. " He looks beyond trying to fix fractures and straighten spines, " the pediatric oncologist said, adding that unlike most doctors, Ponseti stresses the importance of treating the underlying causes of bone diseases. Ponseti has treated children with various orthopaedic problems including dwarfism, paralysis from polio and congenital deformities. But today, he concentrates solely on children suffering from clubfoot. He also established the first connective tissue laboratory in Iowa. " He taught me values, " Buckwalter said, adding Ponseti is the oldest doctor on staff by 18 years. Dr. Stuart Weinstein, 57, met Ponseti for the first time 39 years ago. He admits that the " legendary " doctor's fame and accomplishments were already well known to him and the rest of his medical class for years. " I met him as a medical student in the late '60s, " he said, adding he originally wanted to go into internal medicine; but after meeting Ponseti, he opted to stay in pediatrics. " " He was my role model, " Weinstein said. " The most important thing for him was the patient. " In 1987, Weinstein was announced as the Ignacio V. Ponseti Chair and Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery. " Nothing is more important to me than having a chair in his name, " he said. " It is a wonderful honor to have a professorship named after your hero. " Even after Weinstein was announced as the 2005 president for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, he said he still hopes that Ponseti is proud of him. " He's like my family. I want him to be proud of my work as a doctor, " Weinstein said. " I view him as my mentor, my colleague and my friend, " he said, pausing and then adding, " and my hero. " For self-described World War II history buff Etre, administrator for University Hospital's Orthopaedic Surgery, Ponseti's younger days are what he finds the most fascinating. Born in 1914 in Menorca, Spain, Ponseti fought with the Republican Army in the Spanish Civil War against Fascist militants. After Gen. Francisco Franco triumphed, Ponseti helped injured Republican officers cross the border into France in 1939. He later immigrated to Mexico. After spending a year in Mexico, he moved to Iowa City to work at University Hospitals starting on his 27th birthday. Twenty years ago, Ponseti was forced to retire due to hospital policies. However, that retirement quickly ended when the policy was changed. He eagerly rejoined the staff in 1988 and now sees approximately three patients a week. " A retirement for someone who likes his job is a very bad thing, " he said with a hint of Catalan-Spanish accent. As Etre stands in the hospital's Orthopaedic Surgery wing admiring a glossy photograph of Ponseti on the wall, Dr. Saltzman walks past, slowing to glance at the aged face. " There are very few Ponsetis in the world, " Saltzman said. Shelle Havelick Gazette Circulation ext 8820 shelle.havelick@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 26, 2005 Report Share Posted July 26, 2005 Publication Name: THE GAZETTE Publication Date: 06/18/2004 Headline: Ponseti's gentle method Byline: Erb Section: D Page: 1 Ponseti's gentle method Erb IOWA CITY … The graceful movements of a young girl as she dances and the blur of a middle-aged man as he runs past are sights that bring a smile to Dr. Ignacio Ponseti's lined face. Considered a legend by many at University Hospitals, the 90-year- old orthopaedic doctor has saved more than 16,000 children from the negative effects of idiopathic clubfeet … a birth defect where an infant is born with one or both of its feet twisted down and inward. Created more than 60 years ago, the Ponseti method of treatment was once scoffed at by pro-surgery doctors. The method consists of gentle manipulations to the deformed foot and a series of approximately five casts that gradually bend the feet and ankles back into the proper direction. In 1996, Ponseti published " Congenital Clubfeet: Fundamentals of Treatment, " a book detailing the method. Sitting in his office, Ponseti is surrounded by images of his 83- year-old wife, Helen; dozens of handcrafted thank-you cards; a giant black and white photograph of a dissected clubfoot; and a bookshelf dominated by 43 volumes of Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. " It's such a beautiful thing to see a crippled baby and be able to heal him, " Ponseti said, his face crinkling into a warm smile. " They come and they run and they send me cards. " However, there were some doctors that mocked Ponseti's ideas, he said, arguing that the method was not suitable for children living in more cosmopolitan areas such as New York City. Ponseti said they would tell him that the method worked in Iowa because " you wear big boots to go to these muddy fields. " But now, with Ponseti turning 90 June 3, the method is becoming nationally recognized as the best treatment for the condition. The Kaiser Permanente Medical Group, one of California's most prominent insurance companies, recently announced that it will only insure the Ponseti method. But for Dr. ph Buckwalter, it is not the Ponseti method that he admires. It is the man beyond the famed treatment. " He looks beyond trying to fix fractures and straighten spines, " the pediatric oncologist said, adding that unlike most doctors, Ponseti stresses the importance of treating the underlying causes of bone diseases. Ponseti has treated children with various orthopaedic problems including dwarfism, paralysis from polio and congenital deformities. But today, he concentrates solely on children suffering from clubfoot. He also established the first connective tissue laboratory in Iowa. " He taught me values, " Buckwalter said, adding Ponseti is the oldest doctor on staff by 18 years. Dr. Stuart Weinstein, 57, met Ponseti for the first time 39 years ago. He admits that the " legendary " doctor's fame and accomplishments were already well known to him and the rest of his medical class for years. " I met him as a medical student in the late '60s, " he said, adding he originally wanted to go into internal medicine; but after meeting Ponseti, he opted to stay in pediatrics. " " He was my role model, " Weinstein said. " The most important thing for him was the patient. " In 1987, Weinstein was announced as the Ignacio V. Ponseti Chair and Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery. " Nothing is more important to me than having a chair in his name, " he said. " It is a wonderful honor to have a professorship named after your hero. " Even after Weinstein was announced as the 2005 president for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, he said he still hopes that Ponseti is proud of him. " He's like my family. I want him to be proud of my work as a doctor, " Weinstein said. " I view him as my mentor, my colleague and my friend, " he said, pausing and then adding, " and my hero. " For self-described World War II history buff Etre, administrator for University Hospital's Orthopaedic Surgery, Ponseti's younger days are what he finds the most fascinating. Born in 1914 in Menorca, Spain, Ponseti fought with the Republican Army in the Spanish Civil War against Fascist militants. After Gen. Francisco Franco triumphed, Ponseti helped injured Republican officers cross the border into France in 1939. He later immigrated to Mexico. After spending a year in Mexico, he moved to Iowa City to work at University Hospitals starting on his 27th birthday. Twenty years ago, Ponseti was forced to retire due to hospital policies. However, that retirement quickly ended when the policy was changed. He eagerly rejoined the staff in 1988 and now sees approximately three patients a week. " A retirement for someone who likes his job is a very bad thing, " he said with a hint of Catalan-Spanish accent. As Etre stands in the hospital's Orthopaedic Surgery wing admiring a glossy photograph of Ponseti on the wall, Dr. Saltzman walks past, slowing to glance at the aged face. " There are very few Ponsetis in the world, " Saltzman said. Shelle Havelick Gazette Circulation ext 8820 shelle.havelick@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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