The International Federation of Societies for Surgery of the Hand who represent the global hand surgery societies, will be staging their triennial hand surgery conference, the largest of it’s kind in the world, in London between the 6th and 10th June 2022.
This event will be attended in‐person by over 3500 delegates with several hundred joining online. There will be a number of globally important sessions exploring topics from the treatment of patients affected by Thalidomide to the horrific injuries being treated by our colleagues in Ukraine.
Mr Jonathan Hobby, Consultant Hand Surgeon and President of the British Society for Surgery of the Hand, said: “Hand surgery is something that many of us will need in our lifetimes. This meeting will allow surgeons to share new knowledge and techniques which will result in better outcomes for patients in the UK and around the world. The programme is varied from innovative technologies to lessons learned from the pandemic, and the importance of making surgery greener and less wasteful.”
The conference will consist of 960 presentations of novel research, invited lectures from 500 experts from across the world, and practical demonstrations.
Of particular public interest will be a selection of sessions scheduled for the opening day:
Tuesday 7th June: 0830 – 1000hrs: Hand surgery around the world – What does my day look like? Perspectives of how hand surgery differs across the world, from the UK to West Africa, China and Columbia.
1230 – 1330hrs: Exploration of the problems secondary to thalidomide (in association with the Thalidomide Trust) In the 1950s and 60s, thousands of babies worldwide were affected by the teratogenic effects of Thalidomide. This symposium will feature talks from various experts, focusing on current thalidomide survivors in the UK and the problems they have. The unique perspective of a patient with thalidomide induced malformation will be available.
1400 – 1600hrs: Hand injuries in military conflict Particularly relevant with the war in Ukraine still causing countless injuries, this session will discuss military medicine, and the treatment of specific warzone injuries to the arm and hand. A live feed and case discussion from surgeons in Ukraine and the patient perspective from a conflict survivor will be told.
1630 – 1830hrs: Dupuytren’s Disease This common problem affects people across the world, causing the fingers to bend down into the palm. Novel techniques for treatment have recently found the UK headlines and these along with other advances will be discussed in greater depth.
There are numerous other sessions running throughout the week that have interest for patients and public in the UK, and for patients around the world, particularly those in Low, Middle‐Income Countries. Of note: Technology in hand surgery – Tuesday 7th June, 1630hrs Diversity in hand surgery – Wednesday 8th June, 1100hrs Hand transplant and advanced prosthetics – Wednesday 8th June, 1400hrs
For more information on the event, please visit: https://www.bssh.ac.uk/
