Dr. Lawrence D. Dorr founded Operation Walk in 1996 and developed its techniques for successful surgical missions in developing countries. These included identifying and building relationships with in-country hospitals and physicians, securing implants and other necessary medical supply donations, building volunteer teams of surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, physical therapists and other healthcare professionals, learning how to transport medical equipment across borders and selecting patients in advance to ensure appropriate implants.
As Operation Walk’s reputation grew, it received many more requests from countries that needed help.
At the same time, surgeons who volunteered on earlier missions decided that they loved the experience and patients so much that they offered to form additional teams to increase the number of patients Operation Walk could help each year. There are now 15 of these in the United States, two in Canada, one in Europe and one in Thailand.
Each team secures volunteers with the range of skills needed based on the Operation Walk model and raises its own funds. Operation Walk team leaders in Los Angeles train each new team on how to perform a successful Operation Walk mission, ensuring quality standards and patient care remain consistent across the network. Further, the Los Angeles team sends a few seasoned individuals with each new team to facilitate with cargo, customs, communications, or patient selections and to advise in the field. Each team generally carries out one trip per year although a few complete two missions.
📍 Los Angeles, California
Supporting Partners
Recognizing physicians and their surgical staffs that accompany our teams and provide financial support and/or personnel on a regular basis.
Dr. John Tessier
Dr. Bob Booth
Dr. Dickie Jones
Dr. Carlos Lavernia
Operation Walk USA
Operation Walk USA was started by Dr. Lawrence Dorr after several years of performing joint replacement surgeries on those in need in developing countries. He and his team asked themselves: how can we help people here in Los Angeles who are in pain and need joint replacement surgery but without health care or money to pay for an operation?
In 1999 the LA team set about designing a program that would work in the United States by partnering with its local hospital and vendors to get all items needed for surgery donated, just as for overseas missions. The hospital provided the Operating Room time, the staff to care for the patients and surgical supplies. Implants and other items were donated by generous suppliers. However, we could only operate on a small number of patients each year as the hospital could only free up a limited number of operating rooms and beds.
Operation Walk grew by forming other teams around the country who undertook global missions. Following the Los Angeles team’s lead, those teams also started to perform surgeries on people in their areas who needed help. Soon, a surgeon in Ohio, Dr. Adolph V. Lombardi, Jr., who had been on several overseas missions with the LA team, volunteered to coordinate the efforts of all surgeons who wanted to donate their services. Dr. Lombardi set up a website to match patients with surgeons. Patients in need who register are matched with surgeons in their area who are willing to perform hip or knee surgery without charge. Surgeons screen potential patients and partner with local hospitals and teams.
If you know someone who qualifies for gratis surgery, direct them to the patient portal that opens each March so they may apply for “Operation Walk USA” week (generally, the first week in December).
If you are a surgeon who is willing to donate your services to fellow citizens who need orthopedic surgery but have no resources to pay for it, visit the surgeons portal and register.
Operation Walk USA has performed successful surgeries on approximately 800 U.S. patients since 2009 when it was formally launched.
