Recently I was fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in the annual meeting of the Australian Orthopaedic Association (Western Australia branch). The meeting this year was at the Westin Resort in Bali, Indonesia. I was also able to catch up with several orthopaedic colleagues while visiting Perth as well.
The two week trip was an outstanding learning experience. It was great to chat with many of the Australian surgeons and mentors I had during my fellowship time in Perth. Here are some of the highlights of the trip:
The AOA/WA meeting was held in the Nusa Dua, Bali. The Balinese people were wonderful hosts and I am very appreciative for their efforts during our stay. The meeting had several excellent presentations. There were several outstanding papers regarding advancements in ACL reconstruction sponsored by Mr Peter Annear from Perth Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Centre.
Mr Allan Wang, whom I worked closely with while in Perth, had registrars presenting several papers on novel techniques for the upper extremity. Mr Bo Nivbrant presented a summary on the use of tranexamic acid in total joint arthroplasty. This technique has not been used at Johnston-Willis Hospital and I look forward to examining it as a way to reduce the need for postoperative blood transfusion. Finally, Mr Piers Yates gave a British/Aussie impression of the US healthcare system based on his recent time as a traveling fellow in America.
Along with listening, I also brought a US perspective to the meeting by presenting a research paper on the use of intraoperative radiographs during total hip replacement. I felt that the presentation was well received.
This is the second year I have been able to participate in the annual meeting and I look forward to next year. It is truly an honor and a learning experience to maintain a close relationship with an excellent group surgeons outside of the US. As a surgeon, this provides exposures to unique techniques and ideas that may not be popular in Virginia but are providing excellent outcomes to patients in other parts of the world.
After our time in Bali, it was on to Perth. I visited several of the hospitals where I formerly worked as a fellow. I was also able to catch up with several other members of the WA orthopaedic community. One of those was Mr Jens Buelow, who was one of my fellowship directors. We had an interesting talk about orthopaedic trends in Australia and worldwide. I also thanked him for recently repairing my father-in-law’s Achilles tendon rupture!
Following a long flight home, it was amazing to arrive in Richmond. I feel that the meeting and learning experience in Australia and Bali was outstanding. Later this year, I will be back in Australia where I have set up some meetings with local consultants. I also hope to observe some surgical techniques that I found interesting at the conference. For now, though, it’s good to be home!
