HOPE: Humanitarian Orthopaedic Surgery in Low Resource Environments

Description

In a presentation led by Steve Mannion, a former chairman of WOC, he discusses the challenges faced by orthopedic surgeons in less developed regions, particularly those who have specialized narrowly in fields like arthroplasty. Mr Mannion emphasizes the importance of skills such as managing long bone fractures and performing skin grafting, which have become rare in modern practice. He references the decline of traditional practices, such as amputation, which are now primarily handled by vascular and plastic surgeons.



Mr Mannion introduces the HOPE course, aimed at equipping orthopedic surgeons with essential ortho-plastic skills tailored for austere environments, marking a shift from previous training initiatives like the STAY course, which attempted to cover broader surgical skills. He highlights the collaboration with the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh to host the course and mentions that it has been postponed until next year due to logistical issues. Optimism is expressed about the future course being WOC branded and invites audience members to participate as faculty, looking forward to the event in 2025.

DOI: 10.1302/3114-251173