Two-Day International Orthopaedic Conference Concludes On High Positive Note

Organised by Mafraq Hospital and sponsored by Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), the Mafraq Hospital International Orthopaedic Conference concluded on Friday at Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi.

The two-day mega event, witnessed the participation of 250 doctors and 30 lecturers; 12 from Britain, Germany, India, Turkey and Egypt.

The Conference was chaired by Dr. Rashed Al-Shaeel, Chief of Orthopaedic Department at Mafraq Hospital. The scientific committee of the Conference comprised of doctors from SEHA health system facilities and representatives from the Zayed Military Hospital and Abu Dhabi Police Medical Services Department, as well as Dr. Mohsen El-Mekresh, Head of Surgery Divisions at Mafraq Hospital.

The participants, including renowned orthopaedic surgeons, sport and trauma surgeons, physiotherapists, rheumatologists and paediatricians from around the world, discussed the latest diagnostic and therapeutic techniques in areas such as: bone injuries and fractures, paediatric orthopaedic surgery, foot and ankle surgery, infections of bones and joints, sports injuries, trauma surgery and rheumatology, physiotherapy, different modalities of arthroplasty and arthroscopy, as well as management of deformity correction.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Rashed Al-Shaeel said, “The Orthopaedic Conference is an extra-ordinary event that highlighted broad prospects of medical disciplines and aspects related to bones. It also provided opportunities for medical staff at all UAE hospitals, particularly SEHA’s facilities, to take benefit of experiences, models and live cases, presented by specialists during the meet.”

He added, “Experts and specialists who took part in the Conference presented the essence of their experiences and offered what the world has reached to in the area of patient care and handling the cases of injuries with multiple pathological conditions in orthopaedics. The Conference enabled a wider segment of doctors and specialists to access to the diagnosis and treatment of diseases related to orthopaedics. The meet also served as a platform for sharing experiences and opinions, through the presentations of highly distinguished international and regional speakers on up-to-date research and strategies of current issues and practices in orthopaedics.”

The second day of the event included five sessions and gathered more than 20 doctors who debated important issues. Moderated by Dr. Martin Sarungi from the UK, the first session focused on ‘Shoulder and Hand Surgery’. It included Dr. Mehmet Demirtas from Turkey – he talked on ‘Arthroscopic Balloon for Massive Irreparable Rotator Cuff Tears’, ‘Arthroscopic Assisted Bankart+Bristow for Revision Anterior Shoulder Instability’, and ‘Arthroscopic Shoulder Interposition Arthroplasty for Young Cases’; Dr. Mohamed El-Baz from Abu Dhabi who presented a case report on ‘Kienbock’s Disease in Children’; Dr. Fathey El-Shoeib from Abu Dhabi who gave a presentation on the ‘Use of Bone Cement Augmentation of External Fixation in Complex Hand Fractures’; and Dr. Medhat Emil Habib from Abu Dhabi who talked about ‘Finger Tip Injuries’.

The second session ‘General Orthopaedics’, was moderated by Dr. Rashid Al-Shaeel from the UAE and included presentations from six doctors; namely, Prof. M. Shantharam Shetty, India; Dr. Mohamed Al-Marzouqi, Abu Dhabi; Prof. Dr. Peter Biberthaler, Germany; Dr. Gyorgy Lovasz, UK; Dr. Haitham El-Awadly, Abu Dhabi; and Dr. Medhat Al-Khafajy, Abu Dhabi. They brought up significant topics such as ‘Osteoporotic Fractures – Challenges’; ‘Approach To Arthritis’; ‘Modern Management of Pseudarthrosis’; ‘Metal Sensitivity in Orthopaedic Surgery’; ‘Bone Grafting and Bone Graft Substitutes’; ‘Can We Predict Inflammatory Response and When to Do Fixation’, respectively.

Dr. Yaaqoub Al-Hammadi from the UAE moderated the third session, that was entitled ‘Arthroscopy & Arthroplasty’, during which Dr. Ehab Farhan from Abu Dhabi talked on ‘Posterior Knee Arthroscopy – Anatomy and Technique’. Dr. Nael Bargash from Al Ain discussed ‘Selective Ligament Release in TKR’. Dr. Martin Sarungi from the UK went in his speech into ‘Enhanced Recovery for Lower Limb Arthroscopy – The Surgeon’s Perspective’. Dr. Zaid Al-Duri from Abu Dhabi spoke on the ‘Patellar Tendonitis and Anterior Knee Pain – Clinical Aspects and Surgical Technique’. Prof. Hani El-Mowafi from Egypt delivered his speech on the ‘Principle of Ankle Arthroscopy’. Dr. Nader Darwich from Abu Dhabi gave a presentation on ‘Revision ACL Surgery’, while Dr. Gyorgy Lovasz from the UK brought up his experience and expertise in ‘Patella Resurfacing in Knee Arthroplasty’.

The fourth session was entitled ‘Deformity Correction’ and moderated by Dr. Medhat Khafajy from the UAE. It included three doctors; Dr. Yaaqoub Al-Hammadi from Abu Dhabi who took up ‘Osteotomy of the Knee’; Dr. Marc Sinclair from Dubai who shared on ‘Guided Growth – Correcting Angular Deformities’; and Prof. Hani El-Mowafi from Egypt who touched on the ‘Management of Complex Foot Deformities’.

At the end of the conference, a panel discussion was held that focused on the injuries treated in Mafraq Hospital. It gathered Dr. Medhat Khafajy, Dr. V. Joseph Simon, and Dr. Mahmoud El-Deihy from Abu Dhabi, UAE.

The Conference proved to be a strong platform for medical and paramedical staff including orthopaedic specialists, public and private hospital managements, and pharmacists, to interact with global experts and add more to their experiences.

Participants in the conference of medical staff were awarded CME hours, enabling them to update their knowledge and practice in the field of orthopaedics.

In addition to the main conference, an exhibition was also held concurrently, in which international suppliers and companies showcased their latest equipments and techniques related to the treatment of fractures and orthopaedics.

Emirate:  Abu Dhabi

Date: Feb 3, 2013

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