31 May 2024 (Last updated: 4 Jun 2024 15:24)
Summary and Highlights: BSSH Leeds 2024 Scientific Meeting
The BSSH Scientific Meeting, held on 25th to 26th April at The Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, proved to be an engaging and informative event. Gathering experts in the field of hand and upper limb surgery, the meeting featured insightful lectures, interactive sessions, and valuable networking opportunities, jointly chaired by BSSH President, Ms Grainne Bourke, and Dr Michel Boeckstyns, President of the guest Society, The Scandinavian Society for Surgery of the Hand.
The scientific gathering commenced with a Global Surgery Day in collaboration with BFIRST, hosted a day prior at the Royal Armouries venue on April 24th, supported by PolyNovo. Chaired by BSSH Global Partnerships Committee Chair Chrishan Mariathas and BFIRST Chair Naveen Cavale, the day highlighted the remarkable overseas projects of both charities. It provided an excellent platform for hand surgeons, therapists, trainees, and allied professionals to gain insight into the collaborative overseas work undertaken by BSSH and BFIRST.
At the same time, the BSSH Council met to work through the BSSH Strategy, Finances, and membership decisions from 2023/4 and plan the future of the Society into 2025. Updates from all the BSSH Committees were heard, demonstrating the level of hard work our members do on the behalf of the Society.
On Thursday, the scientific meeting proper welcomed attendees to the historic Royal Armouries Museum, where they were encouraged to explore the museum's captivating collection, including the world's largest animal armour. Delegates were greeted by Ms. Grainne Bourke and Mr. Michel Boeckstyns. The day featured an update on the LION Malawi Project by Jonathan Jones and a generous donation of £13,000 by Osteotec, presented by Sales & Marketing Director Dean Stockwell. This donation was the culmination of extensive efforts and support from the Osteotec team and industry colleagues who raised funds for the LION Hand Unit in Malawi at Osteotec’s 30th anniversary celebration in December. Symposia on Nerve Surgery and Science, led by Professors M. Wiberg, along with various other sessions exploring hand-related topics, filled the conference agenda.
The Thursday business finished with the BSSH EGM, which was well attended and the future of the Society discussed. Then it was time for the conference dinner, held at The Queen’s Hotel. Dining in a venue steeped in history and notable guests such as Nelson Mandela, was a delightful way to celebrate the day's success. A heads & tails fundraising game was organized during dinner, raising £1700 for the LION Project in Malawi. The winner received free day entry to the Society’s Autumn Scientific Meeting in Belfast being held on the 14th and 15th November.
Though fun was had on the Thursday, the Friday morning free-paper session was well attended. The morning also saw the BSSH Strategy update by President, Ms Grainne Bourke and Past President Dean Boyce. Strengthening our international link, the Scandinavian Society for Surgery of the Hand session, discussed successful collaborations and fostering new partnerships in clinical practice and research.
The Free Paper scientific program covered a diverse range of topics, including continuous measurement of hand health, socioeconomic aspects of hand and upper limb conditions, nerve injury, repair, and regeneration, trauma standards and pathways, and innovative surgical techniques and treatments. The BSSH Pioneer Lecture, honouring Simon Kay, was given by Mr Mark Pickford who reflected on the evolution and innovation in microvascular toe-to-hand transfer over 56 years. For which he was awarded the Pioneer medal by the BSSH President.
Additionally, Dr Mary Rose Harvey won the Best Free Paper award for her work on computerized adaptive testing in measuring hand health, and Mr Thomas Cash received the Best Poster award for his research on distal radius fractures.
Attendees had ample opportunities to network during breaks and lunchtime symposiums. Overall, the BSSH Leeds 2024 Scientific Meeting provided a platform for sharing knowledge, fostering collaborations, and celebrating advancements in hand and upper limb surgery.
The meeting was a huge success with 416 registered delegates plus sponsors of whom 260 attended the Society dinner. We are looking forward to welcoming you all to Belfast in Autumn.
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