March 15, 2010 – By DENNIS HINES – dhines@daily-chronicle.com – daily-chronicle

SYCAMORE – Several local medical providers are heading to Africa to help take care of patients who suffer from foot and lower extremity injuries.

Douglas and Jennifer Pacaccio of Advanced Foot and Ankle Surgeons Inc. of Sycamore, and Jane Royalty, a registered nurse for Kishwaukee Community Hospital, are traveling the first two weeks of April to the country of Eritrea with several other physicians to participate in a mission trip for Physicians for Peace and Limb Rescue International.

They will be performing foot and lower extremity surgeries on Eritrea residents and teaching the country’s doctors and medical students how to perform various surgical procedures. Royalty will be training several of the country’s nurses.

“The goal is to be able to staff a fully-functional limb care center in Eritrea and eventually expand, so we’re able to provide net care to other developing countries,” Jennifer Pacaccio said.

Doug and Jennifer Pacaccio and Royalty participated in a mission trip to Eritrea last year, where the team performed about 60 surgeries in 10 days. He said they expect to work with about 120 patients this year.

Jennifer Pacaccio said that because of last year’s trip, they should be more prepared to work with the patients this year.

“The one thing about this year is we’re going to know what to expect. It’s going to be like riding a bike,” she said. “We’re going to be able to get to work right away. The orientation is over.”

The physicians have received a lot of support for their mission trips during the past two years. Doug Pacaccio said, last year, representatives from KCH, Valley West Community Hospital and several other local physicians donated about $115,000 worth of medical equipment for the mission trip. Royalty said several of the nurses at KCH donated stuffed animals for the children of Eritrea.

Doug Pacaccio said some of the common lower extremity injuries in Eritrea include clubfoot, fractures, paralytic polio deformity, land mine injuries and infections.

He said many of the injuries occurred during Eritrea’s civil war with Ethiopia.

“They tried to hide the fact that they were in pain, and they put on this great smile and hug you to show how appreciative they are,” Jennifer Pacaccio said. “I don’t think I’ve been hugged in such a short period of time that much by people who I wasn’t related to.”

Doug Pacaccio said, unfortunately, they were not able to treat several of the patients because of the extent of their injury.

“The biggest heart breaker is when you get that patient who traveled hundreds of miles, and their deformity or disease is so far gone that you really can’t repair it, and to tell them that is really a wrencher,” Doug Pacaccio said.