CURE Zimbabwe recently welcomed a visiting team of UK-based surgeons for a week of complex paediatric hand surgeries, an intense collaboration aimed at expanding local surgical capacity while restoring mobility and dignity to children with severe hand conditions.
The team was led by Dr. Andrew “Drew” Fleming, a plastic surgeon with two decades of hand-surgery experience and roots that run deep in Zimbabwe. Fleming trained in Cape Town, spent nine years at Mpilo Hospital, and has worked in London for 27 years. He returned with colleagues Jamal Moledina and Jessica Steele for their second mission at CURE Zimbabwe.
Their week began with a high-volume clinic, where a number of children, some born with congenital hand differences, others sustained from traumatic injuries, were assessed for reconstructive surgery.
Many presented with conditions such as macrodactyly (abnormally large fingers), radial dysplasia (improper formation of the thumb or wrist), various forms of syndactyly (joined fingers), and tight tissue contractures that limit motion.
One of the more delicate procedures performed was a pollicisation, in which surgeons reshape and reposition the index finger to function as a thumb for a child born without one.
“We managed to do a whole week of surgeries,” Fleming said. “We handled several fairly complex cases, and the children are recovering remarkably well. No major complications. It’s been a successful trip, and we hope to return again next year.”
Hand and Plastic Surgeon Jamal Moledina noted that each surgery presented its own challenges. Fresh injuries are easier to work with, he explained, but older injuries can feel “like trying to chip through concrete” to locate essential structures.
Other cases required meticulous microsurgery, including the preservation of tiny blood vessels, rebuilding of muscles, and reshaping of bones. “But we have a good team,” he said. “We’ve worked well together, and we hope we’ve made a big difference in the lives of these children.”
Steele, a specialist in limb reconstruction and paediatric hand surgery, highlighted the collaborative spirit behind the mission. “It’s been great working with my colleagues from the UK and the CURE team,” she said.
She also credited registrars from Harare who joined the effort. “Some things you only read in textbooks, but seeing them come to life in the operating theatre is transformative.”
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About the CURE Children’s Hospital of Zimbabwe
Established in April 2021, CURE Zimbabwe is the first and only hospital in the country of 14 million people to provide orthopedic care for disabilities such as clubfoot, bowed legs, and knock knees to children regardless of their economic status. The teaching hospital has 18 beds, three operating theaters, and an outpatient clinic. The hospital was refurbished by the Zimbabwe Orthopedic Trust in partnership with the Zimbabwean government and is located adjacent to United Bulawayo Hospital in Bulawayo.
