'Working for the Future' FESSH 2018, Copenhagen

21 June 2018 (Last updated: 22 Jun 2018 09:00)

Last week (13-16 June 2018), 2,100 delegates from 67 countries descended on Copenhagen for the 2018 FESSH Congress in what has now become a truly global annual event.  The congress is preceded by two days of viva voce examinations for the European Board Hand Diploma. This year, 75 candidates from 17 countries around the world entered the exam. There were 59 successes, 10 of which were from the UK, second only in number to Germany's 13 hand diplomats. 

The congress is a typically large-scale event; 540 oral presentations and 610 poster presentations were delivered in 6 parallel rooms over the 4 days.  All aspects of orthoplastic hand surgery and hand therapy were catered for. New for 2018, FESSH held an 'educational Day’ on the Wednesday, preceding the opening ceremony. In an instructional course format, guest speakers delivered keynote lectures and case discussions, which proved to be very popular. Outside of the lecture halls, the foyers were typically flush with bustling industry workshops, plentiful local cuisine and in keeping with tradition, the grand FESSH party commenced on Friday evening, continuing into the early hours of Saturday. 

FESSH has become a real melting pot of cultures with significant attendance from outside Europe, particularly the Americas and the Far East. There is also a strong and flourishing British contribution at all levels. Of the 24 Board examiners, 5 are UK based, headed up by a co-chairman of examiners from Manchester. Of the 2100 attendees, 174 were from the UK, a close second to Switzerland's 208. Many of the keynote lectures, invited talks, free papers and sessional chairs were British. This year's FESSH Instructional Book on Fractures of the Hand and Carpus had 7 authors from the UK. In addition, we have 2 British surgeons on the FESSH council. This all points to a real positive impact that British Hand Surgery and the BSSH is having on a global scale. Roll on IFSSH-FESSH Berlin 2019!

Zaf Naqui, Manchester Hand Centre

Find out more information about the FESSH 2018 congress on their website http://www.fessh2018.com/

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