Ten City-Tour Throughout the World Includes China, Brazil and US Military Bases
Miami, FL—Beginning next month, SLS, the largest multi-disciplinary surgical society in North America, will introduce the latest in minimally invasive surgical techniques to younger surgeons around the world who need additional support and education in the newest research in surgical technology and techniques.
The program involves multispecialty surgeons experienced in laparoscopy, who will teach a series of lectures on conditions common to all minimally invasive disciplines. It also includes basic laparoscopic suturing instructions with tips and tricks from the experts. The subjects of the didactic lectures include; adhesions, entry techniques, pain, education complex surgical conditions and complications. The skills sessions are the basics of laparoscopic suturing and robotics.
“Residents are increasingly stressed, trying to accommodate all that they can in their new careers,” says Dr. Paul Wetter, chairman of SLS. “This is an opportunity for us as a society to present what we know directly to residents who need our support in addition to their teaching institution and medical meetings, where they can come face to face with experts in our fields of discipline.”
The SLS course, which will be called “Tips and Tricks in Minimally Invasive Surgery,” will be taught by SLS-academics from a variety of medical disciplines in China, Romania, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Columbia and the U.S. as a part of a ten city tour that will also reach American military bases. Primarily funded by SLS, the two day course will allow academic experts in general surgery, gynecology, urology and other disciplines to teach basic minimally invasive surgical (MIS) techniques, using the latest research, which will include specific, common illnesses, how to avoid complications, pain, and complex surgical conditions.
“The major medical meeting attendee is usually already established,” says Dr. Maurice Chung, president of SLS, director of women’s health service Van Wert County Hospital, Ohio, and a professor at University of Toledo School of Medicine. “This course has been developed for the younger student, and along with the guidance of their institution, it gives them a chance to become an expert in their field.”
The course will also be developed for the military, with the first lecture at Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii. The six-hour course, which has not yet been advertised, has already attracted dozens of attendees and is scheduled for February 16th, 2016.
Preparing residents for the changing landscape of surgery around the world is something our medical society needs to do, says Dr. Richard Satava, professor emeritus of surgery, University of Washington Medical Center and a former senior science advisor at the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command. “Supporting residents is in line with everything else that SLS does, including its values and mission and I look forward to hearing more as the program takes off.”
The Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons (SLS), a 501(c)(3) organization, is the nation’s leading group of multi-specialty surgeons, including general surgery, urology, OB-GYN and others, SLS advocates for minimally invasive surgery and improved surgical outcomes for all these specialties. It is a voluntary, nonprofit membership organization of roughly 6,000 surgeons. www.sls.org