The First Hands-On Course in Neonatal & Paediatric Endoscopy Surgery

First HANDS-ON COURSE IN NEONATAL &PEDIATRIC ENDOSCOPY SURGERY

This month has been especially eventful.  Last weekend there happened 3 significant events that FourMed ran simultaneously. Everyone from our big team did their best in order to organize, support and conduct all the workshops and conference planned.

Meanwhile, the major perspective event was a two-day 25th-26th March 1st HANDS-ON COURSE IN NEONATAL &PEDIATRIC ENDOSCOPY SURGERY, which was supported by FourMed and organized by the Pediatric Surgery Society in collaboration with Sharjah University. It presented 4 lecturers that are highly experienced in laparoscopy. The course included advanced theoretical program on most important aspects of pediatric minimal invasive surgery. However, this course became unique and particularly useful because it presented an animal lab with 4 fully equipped laparoscopy stations from Richard Wolf, which allowed the course participants to witness the best practice possible. Work stations were divided in accordance with the level of the participants’ experience to practice basic, intermediate or advanced skills.

We believe that the best way to express this course atmosphere is to let lecturers and participants to speak for themselves. After the first day of training we had the opportunity to get feedback from Dr. Khalid Khalfan, Associate Professor, UOS Consultant Laparoscopic & Pediatric Surgeon at Al-Qassimi hospital (MOH). Our patients’ safety has a paramount importance for us that’s why we need to prepare a new generation of pediatric surgeons that are highly advanced in laparoscopy, whereas pediatric laparoscopy animal lab is the best way to translate knowledge into practice and provide real experience to apprentices, that’s compared to dry lab that doesn’t guarantee the necessary level of practice to perform safe laparoscopic surgery, Dr. Khalfan said. In addition, he provided some feedback about the RW endoscopy towers which were used at the animal lab, what he especially liked according to him was that during coagulation he didn’t need to clean the scope after starting smoke evacuation, and the video picture remained perfect throughout the whole period. The tower was installed so effectively that nothing interfered with the surgeons’ work during the procedure. Our RW ergonomic instrument handles proved to be very efficient and prevented the surgeons from tiredness. Dr. Khalfan stated that the surgical instruments were very delicate in work with tissue. As the quality and size of the instruments are very essential in paediatric, Richard Wolf provided 3.5 mm instruments especially designed for such practice. Dr. Khalfan performed on station #2 at which accomplished appendectomy, cholecystectomy. With his team Dr. Khalid Khalfan managed to complete around 60% of planned training on the first day. On the second day of the course he went on with suturing practice as it was essential to train with real tissue rather than with simulator.

Dr. Khalid Eid Alharbi, Consultant paediatric surgeon at Tawam Hospital, UAE and Clinical Assistant Professor, McMaster University, Canada.  With long experience in laparoscopy since 1995. He appreciated the outstanding hospitality and support at every step of this course. The service provided by FourMed team and the university personnel were very competent and helpful at every stage, they were ready to solve any problem without delay, Dr. Alharbi said. At his work station, bawl anastomoses, esophagus mobilization, and nephrectomy procedures were accomplished.

The next person we talked to was Dr. Hesham Ahmady Soliman, a professor of paediatric surgery/urology, the Head of division of pediatric surgery and urology SKMC Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu-Dhabi, UAE. Experience in minimal invasive surgery since 1994. USC (University of Southern California). He was really satisfied with the learning process of the students. During the course he conducted lectures on laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair, laparoscopic splenectomy and intussusception. He emphasized that the quality of all the equipment he used was beyond praise. It was also vivid that FourMed team put lots of efforts and time in the workshop preparation.  Together with his team he practiced side to side bowel anastomosis, stapling of bowel, suturing and knotting.  Dr. Soliman underlined the necessity of such courses due to the problem connected with lack of education, training and experience of the doctors who want to advance their practice in laparoscopy but don’t have necessary backup and support in such performance.

Dr. Adel Al Junaibi Consultant Pediatric Surgeon and Pediatric Urologist SKMC (MOA) Laparoscopic Neonatal and Pediatric Surgeon.  Laparoscopy experience since 1995. When we spoke to him about the feedback at the end of the course he answered that he had nothing to say but the words of praise and gratitude to the organizers of the course for outstanding performance and to FourMed team for the excellent equipment and technical support. He expressed his wish in further collaboration with FourMed aimed at holding more advanced courses in order to be able to pass his experience to the doctors who are eager to learn more from practice. Dr. Junaibi underlined the usefulness of the animal lab for the practical experience in the circumstances where there is a necessity for immediate reaction on bleeding and any other change, reality of tissue, sensation and feeling of real operation in all details. Dr. Al Junaibi and his team have practiced oesophagus atresia repair, diaphragmatic hernia repair, gastric surgery, bowel surgery.

We also couldn’t miss getting feedback from Dr. M. Hani Mostafa Riyan specialist in pediatric surgery, Al Qassimi Hospital, Sharjah. He shared his experience about the workshop on behalf of the trainee. He said that he attended this course with the aim to improve his laparoscopy skills and to master some new techniques. Dr. Riyan declared that his expectations of the course were fully met.

FourMed is really glad that all the doctors pointed the outstanding quality of video image and all the laparoscopy towers produced by our Richard Wolf.  it is immensely important for us that all the lecturers highly evaluated the quality and usefulness of the animal lab and the course in general and expressed a vivid wish to organize such courses on regular basis.

As usual, our service team has delivered an outstanding performance in assembling laparoscopy towers, providing variety of instruments and being especially attentive to the participants needs. This course has allowed us to demonstrate our performance as a close-knit efficient team and to emphasize products advantages of the laparoscopy tower and instruments.

Future plans of FourMed include organizing cadaver training. Being a company providing wide spectrum of laparoscopic instruments it is our responsibility to support the activities designed to help doctors to come to the next level in their research and practice work in the field of minimal invasive surgery.

We are proud of our consistent input in supporting our partners and clients. We will continue with our news reports update next month.

Alena Ulantsikava.

STC Representative.