Naval Medical Center San Diego steps forward for 'wounded warriors'
As the war in Afghanistan enters its second decade, more U.S. troops are suffering catastrophic wounds that will require years of treatment and rehabilitation.
One of the major hospitals caring for patients who the military calls "wounded warriors" is the Naval Medical Center San Diego, in Balboa Park.
"We are uniquely qualified and set up to take care of wounded service members both immediately upon return from combat and into the future," said Navy Cmdr. James L'Esperance, a urologist at the hospital. "They invariably have serious, complex injuries that span multiple fields of expertise."
And from the experience of treating wounded Marines, soldiers and sailors has come new methods, particularly in the field of prosthetics.
“There’s a whole new set of technology of strategies,” said Army Capt. Jay Pyo, a doctor specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Naval Medical Center San Diego.
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-- Tony Perry in San Diego
Photo: Marine Lance Cpl. Juan Dominguez, one of the patients at Naval Medical Center San Diego. Credit: Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times
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