Pre-courses

Global Spine Congress 2023 will feature a range of pre-courses exploring some of the hottest topics and techniques for today’s spine care specialists. Please note that you need to be registered for the GSC to attend pre-courses. There is a choice of a full day or half day ticket, and you are free to visit multiple pre-course rooms within the timeframe purchased. AO Spine member discounts do not apply for pre-course registrations.

Pricing for half day (any morning session): €99
Pricing for half day (any afternoon session): €99
Pricing for full day (any morning and afternoon sessions): €149

New and Upcoming Technologies and Techniques in Spinal MISS Surgery

Time

Wednesday, May 31, 2023, 9:00–12:30

Registration

TBA

Description

Advances in spinal surgery are heavily driven by new and emerging technologies but also by the improvement of operative surgical techniques. For Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery (MISS) as a subspecialty within spinal surgery, this is especially true and relevant.

Goal of the course

The goal is to highlight hot topics beyond the traditional MISS and take a closer look at specific technologies/techniques that are relevant and of-interest to forward-looking surgeons.

Target participants

Practicing surgeons with an interest in MISS and evolving technologies
Fellows in orthopedic or neurosurgery spine programs
Residents in their final years who will specialize in spine surgery

Learning Objectives

On completion of this course, participants will be able to:

Recognize appropriate new technologies and techniques for the treatment of spinal pathologies
Describe the pros and cons of new technologies and techniques
Recognize when newer technologies and techniques may not be an appropriate option

Program

9:00–9:05	Welcome and introduction	R Härtl
Navigation / AR / VR / Robotics		Moderators: Michael Virk Muhammed Assous
9:05–9:13	Total navigation in MISS: How this transforms workflows	R Härtl
9:13–9:21	Robotics: Pros/cons for intra-op workflow	Zeeshan Sardar
9:21–9:29	Augmented reality for implants and workflow	Ibrahim Hussain
9:29–9:37	Applications of VR for teaching, training, and patient education	Steve Theiss
9:37–9:47	Discussion
Management of CSF Leaks and Dural Tears in MISS		Moderators: Ibrahim Hussain Luke Kim
9:47–9:55	In tubular surgery	Michael Virk
9:55–10:03	In endoscopic surgery	Muhammed Assous
10:03–10:13	Discussion
Visualization Techniques in MISS: Pros/cons		Moderators: Zeeshan Sardar Christoph Hofstetter
10:13–10:21	State-of-the-art spinal microscopes: What they have to offer	Claudius Thomé
10:21–10:29	Exoscope	Avelino Parajon
10:29–10:37	Endoscope	Luke Kim
10:37–10:45	Tubular camera	Rick Fessler
10:45–10:55	Discussion
LIF Case Presentations		Moderators: Lynn McGrath Avelino Parajon
10:55–11:03	Traditional lateral	Nestor Taboada
11:03–11:11	Prone lateral	Michael Virk
11:11–11:19	Anterior to psoas	Paul Taylor
11:19–11:29	Discussion
New Technologies in MIS TLIF		Moderators: Paul Taylor Nestor Taboada
11:29–11:37	Transfacet vs. extraforaminal TLIF	R Härtl
11:37–11:45	Endoscopic & awake TLIF	Ibrahim Hussain
11:45–11:53	Expandable cages and TLIF: Where are we	R Härtl
11:53–12:03	Discussion
Big Data and AI in Spine Surgery		Moderators: R Härtl Steve Theiss
12:03–12:11	Where should surgeons get involved	Christoph Hofstetter
12:11–12:19	What is being done currently	Lynn McGrath
12:19–12:30	Discussion

Spine Injuries in Sports 3rd edition

Time

Wednesday, May 31, 2023, 9:00–12:30

Registration

TBA

Program

		Moderators: Jens Chapman Michel Kanas Nelson Astur
09:00–09:10	Introduction to Spine Injuries in Sports	Jens Chapman / Michel Kanas
Overuse and degenerative injuries
09:10–09:30	Spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis: Advances in treatment options for returning to sports
09:30–09:50	Lumbar disc herniation: benefits of the endoscopic x open surgery in athlete's rehabilitation	Facundo Van Isseldyk
09:50–10:10	Competitive sports after spinal fusion	Nelson Astur
10:10–10:30	Lumbar Stenosis in elderly athletes	Michel Kanas
10:30–10:50	Surgical treatment of cervical disc herniation in athletes: when to choose between posterior foraminotomy, ACDF or cervical Arthroplasty	Wellington Hsu
10:50–11:10	Break
Traumatic injuries
11:10–11:30	Epidemiology of Spine fractures and SCI during Sports practice and on field evaluation and management	Josh Schroeder
11:30–11:50	Transverse Process fracture during sports practice
11:50–12:10	Trunk Injuries in Athletes	Jens Chapman
12:10–12:30	Current concepts in the acute medical and surgical management of athletes with cervical SCI	Brian Kwon

Spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis in the second decade of life

Time

Wednesday, May 31, 2023, 9:00–12:30

Target participants:

Spine surgeons, trainees, advanced practitioners

Learning Objectives:

How to diagnose spondylolisthesis/spondylolysis
How to treat spondylolisthesis/spondylolysis
Understand controversies on treatment of spondylolisthesis/spondylolysis

Program

		Moderator: David Skaggs
9:00–9:03	Introduction	David Skaggs Ram Alluri
9:03–9:10	Etiology, epidemiology, and natural history	Kenneth Illingworth
9:10–9:16	Spondys in the young and old are REALLY different	Caglar Yilgor
9:16–9:23	Diagnosis: History, physical, differential, imaging studies	David Skaggs
9:23–9:30	Radiographic parameters: which have really been shown to affect surgical outcome and natural history	Michael Kelly
9:30–9:40	Discussion
9:40–9:47	Is there any good evidence for bracing or physical therapy?
9:47–9:54	Which spondys will heal or stop hurting?	Ram Alluri
9:54–10:04	Discussion
		Moderator: Reinhard Zeller
10:04–10:11	Direct Repair: Indications, technique, and outcomes
10:11–10:18	Fusion for Spondylolysis and Low Grade Spondylolisthesis - Role of ALIF Vs. TLIF	Stephen Lewis
10:18–10:24	Anterior Approach L5-S1: Technique and considerations	Raymond Hah
10:24–10:39	Discussion
10:39–10:59	Break
		Moderator: Stephen Lewis
10:59–11:06	Pro: Reduction	Stéfan Parent
11:06–11:13	Con: Reduction	David Skaggs
11:13–11:23	Discussion
11:23–11:30	Reduction of High Grade Spondy	Reinhard Zeller
11:30–11:37	InSitu Fusion of High Grade Spondy with S1-L5 Transdiscal Screw	David Skaggs
11:37–11:44	Robots/Nav: Pearls and Pitfalls	Corey Walker
11:44–11:54	Discussion
		Moderator: Jens Chapman
11:54–12:30	Cases for panel discussion	Kirkham Wood Caglar Yilgor Michael Kelly

Ultrasound in Spine Surgery: Advances and Practical Applications

Time

Wednesday, May 31, 2023, 13:00–16:30

Registration

TBA

Description

Substantial data support that earlier decompressive surgery (within 24 hours) after a traumatic spinal cord injury improves neurological recovery. Intraoperatively there is no standard to confirm the achievement of adequate decompression. More recent post-operative MRI data indicates that due to axial and longitudinal spinal cord swelling, it is not uncommon that initial efforts at spinal cord decompression can be insufficient. It is possible to use intraoperative ultrasound to define sufficient decompression at the time of the initial surgery with greater accuracy than simple visualization, providing a means to gauge the efficacy of decompression. There may also be a role for ultrasound as a surgical adjunct in austere environments where SCI occurs, but conventional imaging is absent. Moving beyond conventional imaging, ultrasound can inform pathophysiology by showing the injury volume, intact vasculature, blood flow, and cord motion. While many surgeons generally appreciate how to use ultrasound, a recent AO spine global survey found that only a minority of surgeons have training in using the available settings to optimize the visualization depth and resolution and specifically to assess the margins of exposure.

Target participants

This course is targeted at participants at all levels of spine surgery who would like to advance their knowledge in the use of intraoperative ultrasound to confirm the achievement of adequate decompression.

Learning Objectives

Describe the key principles of ultrasound imaging.
Describe the most important parameters to obtain good quality images at surgery.
What considerations are most important to evaluate blood flow in the spinal cord.
Ability to use an ultrasound machine and probe(s).

Program

		Moderators: James Guest Brian Kwon
13:00–13:20	What is US—technology and principles; history of ultrasound and physical principles	Michael Fehlings
13:20–13:50	How to use US—basic principles: Image capture, measurement and ultrasound. This includes calibration, artifacts, and capture of abnormal signals.
13:50–14:20	Spine and the US—case examples to confirm decompression using US: Intradural tumors—intramedullary Arachnoid diverticulum Cyst or csf flow abnormalities Blood flow with tumors Syringomyelia and shunt placements	Jefferson Wilson
14:20–14:40	SCI and how US can help in the future: Blood flow measurements with intravenous US contrast and flow Doppler mode Use with spinal cord injury Correlation of MRI images and US	James Guest
14:40–14:50	Intro to practical—US and what the knobs do: basic overview	James Guest
14:50–16:20	Practical session	All speakers and moderators
16:20–16:30	Final considerations and future perspectives	Michael Fehlings

Cervical spine injuries

Time

Wednesday, May 31, 2023, 13:00–16:30

Registration

TBA

Description

The course will cover all aspects of cervical spine trauma including proximal and sub-axial cervical spine injuries. A special focus will be on clinical evaluation, investigations, classification, decision making and treatment options. Experienced international faculty will share and exchange their experience in interesting case discussions.

Faculty

Chairperson
Ahmed Shawky Abdelgawaad (Germany)

Faculty
Mohammed El-Sharkawi (Egypt)
Robert Morrison (Germany)
Sameh Abolfotouh (UAE)
Michael Stoffel (Germany)
Ali Abomadawi (Egypt)
Zdenek Klezl (Czech Republic)
Richard Bransford (USA)

Target participants

Spine surgeons in training (experience 2–10 years)

Learning Objectives

Protect and clear cervical spine injuries in trauma patient
Diagnose, classify cranio-atlanto-axial cervical injuries.
Diagnose, classify sub-axial cervical injuries.
Describe indications for surgical and non-surgical treatment of cervical spine injuries.
Decide which C1/2 instrumentation technique is the most suitable for each case.
Decide which approach is most suitable for a sub-axial injury.
Identify cervical spine injury in rigid spine as a serious complex injury.
Differentiate geriatric patients as a special fragile group of patients who need special care.
Identify cervical spine injury in pediatric cases and how to manage them.

Program

Session 1		Moderators: A. Shawky Abdelgawaad Zdenek Klezl
13:00–13:10	Cervical spine clearance in trauma patients	Sameh Abolfotouh
13:10–13:20	Cranio-cervical Injuries and atlas fractures
13:20–13:30	C2 fractures	Mohammmad El-Sharkawi
13:30–13:40	C1/2 fixation techniques	A. Shawky Abdelgawaad
13:40–13:50	Discussion of the previous presentations	Moderators
13:50–14:10	Case presentation (proximal injury)	A. Shawky Abdelgawaad
14:10–14:20	Vertebral artery injury—How to avoid?	A. Abou-Madawi
14:20–14:30	Traumatic cervical spinal cord injury - Evidence	Sameh Abolfotouh
14:30–15:00	Break
Session 2		Moderators: A. Shawky Abdelgawaad
15:00–15:10	Subaxial cervical spine injuries— classification	Richard Bransford
15:10–15:20	Disco-ligamentous injuries	Ali Ezzati
15:20–15:30	Cervical spine injuries in rigid spine	Robert Morrison
15:30–15:40	Discussion of the previous presentations	Moderators
15:40–16:00	Case presentation (subaxial injury)
16:00–16:10	Anterior vs posterior approch for subaxial injuries	Zdenek Klezl
16:10–16:20	Geriatric cervical spine injuries	Michael Stoffel
16:20–16:30	Pediatric cervical spine injuries	A. Shawky Abdelgawaad

Leadership in Surgery: a simple way to minimize complications and maximize patient outcomes

Time

Wednesday, May 31, 2023, 13:00–16:30

Registration

TBA

Description

Physicians not in a leadership position will not have the opportunity to influence or make decisions to maximize patient satisfaction. People need to see you as a leader to follow your ideas about disease-based protocols, treatment guidelines, patient-report outcomes, and teamwork to treat the patient humanely.

Professional technical skills need to be complemented by management and leadership skills in a disruptive healthcare ecosystem to maximize the surgeons' effectiveness in meeting the challenges that impact patient care and spine surgery practice.

The program focuses on your dilemmas, obligations, sacrifices, and choices regarding your role as a surgeon and your progress. The participants will be exposed to different scenarios, practical activities, lectures, and discussions to leverage their mindset about their careers and personal life.

Future success in Health science and Health care continues to require physicians with leadership skills to meet the quadruple aims effectively:

Improving the patient quality of care and satisfaction.
Improving the health of populations.
Reducing the cost of health care.
Improving the work life of health care providers, including clinicians and staff.

Methodology and contents
The participants will be exposed to different scenarios, practical activities, lectures, and discussions to leverage their mindset about their careers and personal life.

Faculty

Coordinator
Asdrubal Falavigna

Faculty
Shanmuganathan Rajasekaran
Jeffrey Wang
Luis R. Vialle
Daniel Riew
Abhay Nene
Pedro Berjano
Amer Aziz
Michael Daubs
Juan Emmerich

Target participants

Spine surgeons

Learning Objectives

Embrace the risks and opportunities presented in Spine Surgery
Learn how to communicate complex information
Explore your potential to manage conflict situations
Learn strategies to defend your decisions
Apply different techniques to motivate your team
Maximize your leadership approach
Optimize your career

Program

13:00–13:15	Discover how to build and get the most out of your surgical team	S. Rajasekaran
13:15–13:40	Small table discussion and Sharing	A. Nene P. Berjano A. Aziz M. Daubs J. Emmerich
13:40–13:55	How do you drive change and transformation in your department and create a high-performance culture?	J. Wang
13:55–14:20	Small table discussion and Sharing	A. Nene P. Berjano A. Aziz M. Daubs J. Emmerich
14:20–14:35	Update and apply new surgical techniques effectively	L. Vialle
14:35–15:00	Small table discussion and Sharing	A. Nene P. Berjano A. Aziz M. Daubs J. Emmerich
15:00–15:15	Coffee break
15:15–15:30	Negotiate effectively to meet the needs of patients, departments, and employers.	K. Daniel Riew
15:30–15:55	Small table discussion and Sharing	A. Nene P. Berjano A. Aziz M. Daubs J. Emmerich
15:55–16:10	Recognize the skills and best practices needed to be a successful leader within the operating room	A. Falavigna
16:10–16:25	Small table discussion and Sharing	A. Nene P. Berjano A. Aziz M. Daubs J. Emmerich
16:25–16:30	Take Home Message—End of Course	A. Falavigna

Certified by the Caxias do Sul University