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SALT LAKE CITY -- A team of doctors from Utah recently returned from a trip to El Salvador, where they performed free joint replacement surgeries to over 40 patients.
The medical team from Salt Lake Regional Medical Center and University of Utah Hospital spent a week in the country as part of Operation Walk.
Doctors said the patients traveled hundreds of miles to receive knee replacements. One woman even rode a horse for three days just to get to the hospital.
"One of the patients was rolled over by a tractor," said Aaron Hofmann, founder of Operation Walk Utah. "Another patient had a soccer injury when he was 20 years old and walked around limping for 30 years before he could get us to take care of him."
Now Operation Walk will focus on giving back in Utah. Doctors will be offering up to 15 free hip and knee replacement surgeries to Utahns who have no health care. They are currently taking application at www.operationwalkutah.org.
