AMSTERDAM /// ThursDAY, 31 May 2012 /// Spineweek2012.com /// ISSUE 4
Interview with Michael Ogon
Interviewing Haluk Berk, Secretary of the EuroSpine Society Please, tell us about your career in the EuroSpine Society!
EuroSpine Treasurer Michael Ogon from Vienna, Austria, is a proud member of EuroSpine since 2000. He expressed his gratitude to all participants of the Spineweek 2012 and emphasized the importance of a high quality community such as the EuroSpine Society.
Personally I always enjoy the debates, especially those discussing rather simple questions that often occur in the everyday life of spine surgeons. They often seem to be rather easy to handle, but there are always different perspectives and it is always interesting to hear other angles of approach.
What are the advantages of a membership? Personally, I think EuroSpine is the most important society for my professional life due to its international character – including not only the European countries, but also the USA and Asia. First of all there are personal advantages such as receiving the European Spine Journal and the information about education courses and the scientific congresses. There are also special benefits regarding the participation on courses and the annual congress. In times like these for me there is also a moral obligation to form a strong community in order to generate and represent a common sense of quality management and high-quality education throughout Europe. It takes a huge community to achieve this – the more the better.
What do you think are the trends in the field of spine? While for a long time there seemed to be a concentration on motion preservation, it seems to me that now the main focus shifted towards a balanced spine, which was important all the time but is now even more important.
What are the program highlights for you?
What is your personal opinion on the newly improved EuroSpine App? The App definitively is one of the best systems I have seen so far on congresses of such a big size. It provides the user with all the relevant information concerning the Spineweek and is very easy to use. You get all the facts on various lectures and even details on the members and lecturers. Furthermore I‘m very fond of the voting system, since this audio response system motivates the participants to take active part in the meetings.
EuroSpine is a merger of two societies – the European Spine Society and the European Spine Deformities Society (ESDS). I was a member and one of the last travelling fellows of the ESDS and became a member of the EuroSpine in 1996. During the meeting where the two societies decided to merge, I was glad to receive the Best Poster Award.
At first, I was just attending the meetings and was not keen on taking a role in the society, but that changed with my application to host the EuroSpine meeting in Istanbul. The congress was designated to be hosted in Istanbul in 2006. In the meantime the EuroSpine accepted me to take an active role in the society and I was elected as a Member at Large. After a period of two years, I was re-elected to the Executive Committee again in 2005/06 as the Congress Chair for the 2006 congress in Istanbul, which turned out to be a big success – as the participants told me.
Hence, I became a part of the Education Committee, where we developed a number of new courses. These well structured courses were running very successfully without the influence of the industry. As the demand for the courses was increasing and the existing courses were not enough to fit the society‘s needs, the Education Committee was strengthened in its position within the society. The teamwork in the committee was really great. Creating new courses is not done in a second – it takes a lot of time and effort and you have to learn from your own mistakes. Then, Phil Sell took over the Committee Chair and continued developing new courses and here we are today, at the era of education modules, education weeks and fellowship programs, also thanks to the great work done by Finn Christensen and Marco Brayda-Bruno, who implemented these. I then applied to the role of Secretary of the EuroSpine Society. I was elected three years ago and took over from Ferran Pellisé who had been a very good Secretary. It was very hard for me to accomplish the high standards that Ferran set. During my three years as the secretary, I had to press many feet and some voices started questioning whether Turkey is a part of Europe or not, instead of pushing for scientific progress and working for a better joint future. If you look at other societies, you see that even national societies like NASS become global players and open their doors fully to the world. To me this argument of closing doors, drawing thick borders and re-evaluating the existence of an already well-
working member from a specific country seems strange and is unacceptable. However, the General Assembly yesterday prooved that this argument is not true. What are your goals for the future? Closing our doors to the outside world is not the future. That is why we are working on our strategic plan for the next 10 years. One already decided field of action is the education program – with the help of the EuroSpine Foundation. With the feedback which we get from the participants, the industry and all the faculty members, we are improving the Education Weeks. The courses should be extended to master level and experience level. For the development of the Education Program we have the full support from the Executive Committee. The second area is research. Our Research Task Force (RTF) is under the chair of Margareta Nordin, whom I admire for her personality and academic achievements. She is doing so well that the RTF is becoming one of the strong motors of the society. Therefore the funding of research will be increased. Our third area of interest is Spine Tango, which is our digital registry. I think that in the future the patient registries will be mandatory in all European countries as it is already now in Switzerland. Having an already working registry will intensify the society’s position and our stakeholders’ perception. So we will get the chance to negotiate and sit together with the governments, the public health authorities in Brussels, the ... continued on page 4
AMSTERDAM /// ThursDAY, 31 May 2012 /// Spineweek2012.com /// ISSUE 4
EuroSpine Lunch Symposia 2012
Discover the art
Thursday, May 31 Hall G104-105 Is Sagittal Balance an Indicator for the Treatment in Back Pain? Chair: Pierre Roussouly, Lyon, France 12:45 - 13:00 Biomechanical aspects of sagittal balance Pierre Roussouly, Lyon, France 13:00 - 13:15 Is sagittal balance assessment mandatory in rehabilitation? Gregoire Leblay, Lyon, France 13:15 - 13:30 At what time is sagittal unbalance sufficient to operate degenerative low back pain? Jörg Franke, Dortmund, Germany 13:30 - 13:45 Limits of indications in deformities Daniel Chopin, Mercurey, France FUNDAMENTALS OF CLINICAL RESEARCH: LEARNING TO DESIGN MY OWN CLINICAL STUDIES
Marco Campello Björn Rydevik Marek Szpalski Muharrem Yazici
…was the title of the first course organized by the Task Force Research and EuroSpine. It took place 27 February - 2 March 2012 in Istanbul, Turkey Twenty-two course participants from nine countries came together for five intense working days. They were in best hands facultywise: the core faculty and guest faculty made sure to cater for a lot of brain food.
In return for the hard work, the welcome reception and the farewell dinner were arranged. Not only did they offer culinary highlights of the Turkish cuisine but were also the perfect opportunity for gathering and networking, seeing old and making new friends.
Core Faculty Margareta Nordin (Course Director) Christine Cedraschi Pierre Côté Lena Holm Guest Faculty Emre Acaroglu Federico Balagué Haluk Berk
Overall, the course was very well received. Teaching quality reached a high level, 80% of participants were very satisfied with the pedagogic competence of the faculty. A mix between lectures and working in small groups of 3-4 participants was appreciated and enhanced the overall learning effect.
Embracing culture in Amsterdam is easy, since the city has over fifty museums. The variety of exhibitions is as diverse as the city itself. Throughout the centuries the Netherlands bred some of the most famous artists in art history. At the Rijksmuseum, which is currently undergoing a renovation, you are offered a glance into the Golden Age, when you visit the largest collection of old masters from the 15th to the end of the 19th century, such as Rembrandt and Vermeer. Until the reopening in 2013 the majority of the collection will be displayed in the Philips Wing on Museumplein, in an exhibition entitled The Masterpieces, alongside the famous doll’s houses, the Van Vianen brothers’ silver and the Delftware pottery. The Rijksmuseum also has a division at
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Another important museum in Amsterdam is the Van Gogh Museum, which is the most visited museum in the country. 260 paintings and 550 sketches by the post-impressionist artist Van Gogh are displayed in the museum. Furthermore the museum‘s collection includes a collection of letters between Van Gogh and Theo as well as paintings by Paul Gaugin, Claude Monet and other important artists from the 19th century. A quick side note – on Friday evenings the museum often features lectures, concerts and films. Seen enough of the masters? Then be inspired by the exhibitions in the Foam – the city‘s leading photography museum,
which is covering all forms of the medium: from documentary to fashion, historic to contemporary. Join the discussions, study and mingle with the professionals.
Rijksmuseum
A
Stadhouderskade 42 Open 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Mon-Thu, Sat, Sun; 9 a.m. - 10 p.m. Fri. Admission Fee: € 14
Van Gogh Museum
B
Paulus Potterstraat 7 Open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday until 10 p.m. Admission Fee: € 14
FOAM
C
Keizersgracht 609 Open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. MonWed, Sat, Sun; 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Thur, Fri. Admission Fee: € 7
Save the date
Please save the date, mark your calendar and plan to attend the The good news: the course will be EuroSpine 2013 conference, continued in Prague 4 - 8 March taking place in Liverpool, UK 2013! Stay tuned for updates on on 2 - 4 October, 2013. www.eurospine.org/ ResearchCourse
An organization worth supporting! Scott Haldeman, President of the World Spine Care Organization, is proud to present his non-profit charity and emphasizes the necessity of a global improvement of spinal care.
profit from high standards in healthcare, there are still parts of the world where communities do not have access to proper health and spinal care. The World Spine Care Organization‘s goal is to improve the spinal care standards in these developing countries. Therefore Scott Haldeman is traveling around the world and visits various congresses and conferences in order to increase awareness and recruit new members and supporters. What is the World Spine Care Organization?
While most parts of the world
Our organization is setting up centers or clinics, where we bring in volunteers from all around the world who are willing to spend time, energy and devotion in the clinics. Basically the centers concentrate on four components:
First of all, we are setting up clinics and are offering a certain service. Secondly, we are establishing evidence-based protocols that can actually work within those underserved communities based on their equipment and possibilities. Thirdly, we have a research component with two research teams coming from multiple countries to study the burden of spinal diseases in the local communities and to analyze how to integrate care. We basically make a study before and after the set-up of our center in order to see if we can actually achieve an improvement or if our approach has to be modified. The last and most important factor is to generate sustainability – we have to make sure that what we do for the community is not only a short-time solution, but
leads the community into a condition where they can help themselves. To achieve that, we have to educate the local physicians, nurses, doctors or whoever feels responsible for spinal care. We are also busy to offer courses and continuous education – e.g. right now we are preparing courses one of our major clinics in Botswana. We are asking educational and chiropractic education facilities to offer scholarships to people from those communities or to offer spine fellowships to surgeons and physiotherapist.
deals with multiple clinics and tries to set up a sustainable spine care. We are the first to get involved with this. One of the difficulties in establishing more clinics is the shortage of the resources. We are hoping to develop the needed resources for another 4 to 5 clinics that are being considered. Now we are basically asking the industry to support us and are hoping to raise awareness and increase our membership.
Our goal is to build up clinics for the communities, which – in the end – should be able to work, care and help for themselves.
My Message to the participants: Help the World Spine Care Organization and become a member – it‘s a project worth every support it can get. In joining you directly help achieving a difference in the world.
Right now there is no other international society or charity that
For further information please visit www.worldspinecare.com
AMSTERDAM /// ThursDAY, 31 May 2012 /// Spineweek2012.com /// ISSUE 4
City MAp of amsterdam
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DYSTANY
BRIDGES
PIET DE LEEUW
SPELT
FYRA
Asian Style in Amsterdam
French fish
The best steaks in town
A contemporary approach to Dutch Cuisine
Come in and find out
Dystany is one of Amsterdam‘s most popular Asian restaurants. The interior is designed in a very opulent way and features a ceiling covered in Chinese umbrellas.
At Bridges, it’s all about fish. The kitchen serves always only the best fish only during the according current season.
Piet de Leeuw is one of the oldest cafés in Amsterdam and still has the original character of a brown pub. The kitchen not only offers tender steak with bread, but also excellent other meals, which are served with the greatest care. The fried sole is also well-known by many of the guests.
The creative kitchen is influenced by Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Cantonese and Filipino cuisine and offers large and spicy portions.
Located at the front of the Sofitel Amsterdam Hotel, the stylish restaurant and the „Raw Bar“ offer a fantastic variety of the finest seafood and fish completed by fresh vegetables. Every dish retains its purity when it is enjoyed in combination with a fine wine from the exclusive Vinothèque.
Reguliersdwarsstraat 30 Tel.: +31 (0) 20 6268400 www.restaurantdynasty.nl Price: €€€
Oudezijds Voorburgwal 197 Tel.: +31 (0)20 555 35 60 www.bridgesrestaurant.nl Price: €€€€ - €€€€€
The place is filled with authentic air and humor. The interior is rustic and dark: wooden furniture and floorboards, shining beerengines, a collection of Jenever bottles, selected paintings and photographs of clients.
Noorderstraat 11 Tel.: +31 (0)20 623 71 81 www.pietdeleeuw.nl Price: €
Although Dutch cuisine does not seem to fit into the world of fine cuisine, the restaurant Spelt tries to present traditional dishes with a modern twist. Located at the Nieuwe Spiegelstraat, it draws the guests‘ attention to fresh, pure dishes and a comfortable atmosphere. It is still a well-kept secret in the city. Spelt focuses on honest meals prepared with fresh, pure products from Dutch soil.
Located at Noorderstraat, the Restaurant Fyra offers a calm and cosy atmosphere. Fyra means ‘four‘, this number stands for the culinary entrepreneurs that will welcome you in their restaurant when serving an aperitif. The open kitchen allows to witness how the passionate and fresh dishes are created.
This restaurant is a place where guests can relax and admire a continuously changing exhibition of big art photography. Nieuwe Spiegelstraat 5A Tel.: +31 (0) 20 420 70 22 www.restaurantspelt.nl Price: €€
Noorderstraat 19-23 www.restaurantfyra.nl Tel.: +31 (0)20 428 36 32 Price €€€ - €€€€
AMSTERDAM /// ThursDAY, 31 May 2012 /// Spineweek2012.com /// ISSUE 4
2012 / 13 European Spine Course Diploma tentative schedule and Masters Dates
Module
Title
June 21
Module 1
Basic Comprehensive Course
June 22 - 23
Module 2
Degenerative Challenges
July 26
Module 1
Basic Comprehensive Course
July 27 - 28
Module 2
Degenerative Challenges
September 13 - 14
Module 4
Spinal Deformities
September 15 - 16
Module 5
Revisions and Complications
October 20
Module 1
Basic Comprehensive Course
October 21 - 22
Module 2
Degenerative Challenges
October 21 - 22
Module 3
Trauma Tumors and Infections
November 8
Module 1
Basic Comprehensive Course
November 9 - 10
Module 2
Degenerative Challenges
November 29
Module 1
Basic Comprehensive Course
Nov 30 - Dec 1
Location
Language
Organizers
Vienna - Austria
German
ESF / Austrian Spine Society
Roma - Italy
Italian
ESF / Gruppo Italiano Scoliosi
Istanbul - Turkey
Turkish
ESF / Turkish Spine Society
Dubai - UAE
English
ESF / Middle East Societies
Spain
Spanish
ESF / Gruppo Estudio Enfermedades Raquis
Vienna - Austria
German
ESF / Austrian Spine Society
Greece
English
ESF / Hellenic Spine Society
Switzerland
English
ESF / EuroSpine
To be defined To be defined
January 17
Module 1
Basic Comprehensive Course
January 18 - 19
Module 3
Trauma Tumors and Infections
March 18
Module 1
Basic Comprehensive Course
Marc 19 - 20
Module 2
Degenerative Challenges
Mach 21 - 22
Module 3
Trauma Tumors and Infections
Mach 21 - 22
Module 4
Spinal Deformities
March 19 - 20
Module 5
Revisions and Complications
editors
interview continued from page 1 ... industry and even insurance companies. We have three very strong tools in our hands: To increase the relevance of our society, we have to increase the number of members. Therefore the Membership Committee has a new group and a new secretary dedicated to membership and public relations. What are the benefits for interested persons to become a member? EuroSpine has many benefits. They will receive the European Spine Journal, which is becoming one of the leading spine journals in the world. Another benefit is that every member can take an active role in the society and may become an active participant of the Executive Committee. There will be more benefits like the web platform which includes eLearning and webcasts as the world gets more and more digital.
The EuroSpine Society would like to thank Emre Acaroglu and Thomas Blattert for their great work as on-site editors of The Spine Times. Their inspiring ideas, great proofreading capabilities and burning questions were essential for the creation of this newspaper.
Program Highlight
Interactive Voting Session
The ISSLS Harry Farfan pital in Bangatore, India. FurPresidential Lecture thermore he is the winner of the “Business Process Award” of the Economist Magazine in October 2011. He will present his interesting paper on “High quality care at low cost – Is it a reality?”
The debate session „Surgical Management of early cervical myelopathy: Not yet... not yet...too late!“ was a successful example for a new type of session: the interactive debate. Instead of having one presentation after the other, the audience is actively involved in the session. All participants can express their view using an specially designed app on their smartphone.
Time: Thursday May 31, at 8:40 - 9:20 Location: Auditorium Dr Devi Shetty is an eminent Cardio Thoracic Surgeon, Medical Economist, Chairman at the Narayana Hrudalaya Hos-
This session will be followed by the ISSLS Presidential Address by Dr. S. Rajasekaran with the title “Publish to flourish – Is it corrupting science?”
voting results Thank you for your active participation in the third interactive voting. The following chart visualizes the results of the voting process. As you can see, the majority of the participants think that disc arthroplasty does not play an important role anymore, although it is not completely „dead“.
the audience for their opinion. 68%) than the one of the first The majority of the partici- voting. pants voted for „No operation“. After this initial response from the audience the two debaters Bernhard Meyer and Bernard Jeanneret presented their views on this controversial topic. At the end of the session Prof. Palaoglu asked the audience a second time for their opinion to see whether their mind had changed during the presentations. Again a maAfter a short introduction to jority of the participants voted the voting system and a brief for „No operation“, but this overview of the case the Sessi- time the percentage was signion Chair Selçuk Palaoglu asked ficantly lower (57% instead of Imprint
Question: Is disc arthroplasty of the lumbar spine dead in this decade?
The Spine Times is a free congress newspaper published by EuroSpine. Publishing House: EuroSpine, The Spine Society of Europe Judith Reichert Schild Seefeldstrasse 16 8610 Uster-Zürich Switzerland
n = 95
Tel. +41 44 - 994 14 04 Fax +41 44 - 994 14 03
Contact: info@eurospine.org
Contributors: Andrea Berner, Jean Charles Le Huec, Phil J. Sell, S. Rajasekaran
Publisher: Jean Charles Le Huec (EuroSpine President) Haluk Berk (EuroSpine Secretary)
Photographs: EuroSpine Society, Martin Steiger, Shutterstock.
On-Site Editors: Emre Acaroglu, Thomas Blattert
Feedback: editor@thespinetimes.com
Editor-in-Chief: Christian Lendl
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