News
Heraeus-sponsored Andrew Sprowson Management of Infection fellowship Moez Zeiton
T
his three week fellowship was completed at the renowned Endo Klinik in Hamburg, Germany who are international leaders in the management of prosthetic joint infections (PJIs). I aimed to gain experience of PJI management in a high-volume centre, understand the diagnostic protocols, decision making process and revision techniques to ultimately benefit patients in my own practice in the UK. The set-up for arthroplasty surgery at Endo Klinik is slick, refined and ultra-efficient allowing for maximum theatre utility using predefined protocols and procedures for the management of primary and revision (septic and aseptic) procedures. In particular, aggressive management of prosthetic joint infections results Evening outside Helios in very high success Endo Klinik in the Altona rates in this complex neighbourhood of Hamburg group of patients.
I was able to scrub in and assist on approximately 32 primary and revision arthroplasty procedures. Surgeons were very accommodating and explained their techniques, strategies and decision-making algorithms. It was particularly fascinating to see the aggressive approach towards 4 x Pod theatres preparing and soft tissue and bone setting up at 07:30am for primary and aseptic revision cases debridement in PJI revision procedures. I had the opportunity to gain exposure to some of the research projects taking place at Endo Klinik and contribute to several ongoing projects as well as help to plan future international collaborative projects which I am hopeful will come to fruition. The educational experience of this fellowship was excellent, and I would like to thank Dr Mustafa Citak and Professor Thorsten Gehrke for their help with facilitating this fellowship. I would also like to thank the BOA and their sponsors for their generous support and funding to allow me to pursue this opportunity. n
British Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (BOFAS) update Heath Taylor, BOFAS President
T
he British Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (BOFAS) has, much like all other societies, had our usual activities restricted by COVID. We have, however, begun to run face-to-face meetings and coordinated two sessions at the BOA meeting in Aberdeen, including a lively debate on complex ankle fractures and a session on Rheumatoid foot surgery. The Education Committee has maintained an excellent online educational
12 | JTO | Volume 10 | Issue 01 | March 2022 | boa.ac.uk
commitment, including the Master Techniques Webinars, a collaboration with AOFAS. They have also restarted face-toface educational meetings, including the Advanced Fellows Forum and the Principles and New Consultant Courses. The Scientific Committee has also been busy. The James Lind Alliance PSP project and the UK-FalCoN Project have completed. We are working towards a national research network for Foot and Ankle fellows and hope to restart the review and funding for BOFAS grant applications soon. The Outcome Committee has continued to encourage the use of the BOFAS registry and a number of new pathways are now live. They have also contributed to an excellent paper on ankle arthritis
networks, a project that ensures that we keep to the GIRFT principles. As part of the NHS COVID recovery plan, I met with BOA, NHS England and the College of Podiatry, to work together in dealing with the problems of waiting lists for Foot and Ankle surgery. We continue to ensure the highest standards of care are offered to our patients, including equivalence in standards of training and governance, for clinicians treating patients with Foot and Ankle conditions. Finally, plans are being finalised for a good old fashioned face-to-face annual meeting in Bournemouth, in March 2022. We have an excellent academic programme planned, with the aim to have the usual mixture of instructional sessions, keynote speakers and workshops. Keep well, and I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible in Bournemouth. n
