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Swiss orthopaedics anticipates added exposure in partnership with EFORT for its annual congress
Switzerland's history in orthopaedics includes many accomplishments, pioneers that gave swiss orthopaedics a foundation for future progress.
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The Swiss Society of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, known as swiss orthopaedics, was founded in 1942 and represents the interests within Switzerland for orthopaedics and traumatology at the national and international levels.
Alain Farron, MD, of Lausanne, Switzerland, has been president of swiss orthopaedics for the past 2 years. His term ends in June 2016. He told Orthopaedics Today Europe the organization has a long history and its members have had considerable influence on the progress of musculoskeletal medicine worldwide during the years.
Today, however, swiss orthopaedics is focused on a few key areas. Top of the list is its collaboration with the European Federation of National Societies of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (EFORT) on the 17th EFORT Annual Congress, which will be held 1 to 3 June in Geneva.
Developed congress program with EFORT
Swiss orthopaedics will hold a general assembly meeting during the EFORT Congress.
“We participated in the congress scientific program development,” Farron said, and noted there will be a corresponding social program and combined activities.
“We have also our [Maurice Edmond Müller] MEM Honorary Lecture on the first day, 1 June, given by Werner Müller,” he said.
Maurice E. Müller, MD, for whom the lecture is named, was a pioneering Swiss orthopaedist who developed the AO system for operative treatment of fractures in the 1960s. Farron considers him one the most influential members of swiss orthopaedics.
“His outstanding activity was a great contribution to orthopaedics,” Farron said.
Swiss orthopaedic surgeon Werner Müller, MD, is emeritus professor at the University of Basel and emeritus head of the orthopaedic clinic at Kantonsspital Bruderholz in Switzerland, and was a cofounder of the European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy.
New pricing procedures
Officers and members of swiss orthopaedics are also focused on the pricing of surgical procedures in Switzerland, which recently needed to be changed.
“We had to create a completely new system for dealing with pricing the procedures. It is a big challenge for many people because it has to do with money,” Farron said, noting the process involves working with government systems, manufacturers and other medical societies in Switzerland.
“The discussions are hot,” he said.
Instruction
In addition, swiss orthopaedics is involved with issues related to the number of surgeons in the country and the effect that has on teaching musculoskeletal medicine at the post-graduate level.
“Now, in 2016, the problem is we have probably, in some locations, too many surgeons and it could have an effect on the quality of the process and it has an effect on the quantity. Probably if you have too many surgeons, you could have too many procedures. We are looking for a system to regulate the number of surgeons who want to teach. This is not so easy,” according to Farron.
One way swiss orthopaedics has tried to address this problem is by creating networks in Switzerland that will provide information about the ideal number of surgeons to teach. But, he said, that has not been easy.
“Interests are not the same for everybody. It is probably one of the challenges for our society,” Farron said.
However, after the number of orthopaedic surgeons who need to be trained is identified, he said the goal is to create a system of regulation that focuses on how many orthopaedic surgeons are needed nationwide and how to best teach them.
Toward a more professional society
According to swiss orthopaedics treasurer Jacques Menetrey, MD, the political focus that swiss orthopaedics now has helps its members in an academic or private practice with day-to-day problems.
“Swiss orthopaedics has started to professionalize a lot [during] the years, and it is an ongoing process,” Menetrey told Orthopaedics Today Europe. “We still need to be more effective with respect to this professionalization and, from my personal standpoint, to have a combined meeting with EFORT shows this will to become more professionalized and open minded.”
Menetrey noted the combined meeting with EFORT will help show the international orthopaedic community the high level of research and quality of work done by Swiss orthopaedic surgeons, traumatologists and researchers.
“The quality of the work made with respect to orthopaedics in Switzerland is of a high standard. That should be sometimes emphasized. We are always modest. This is a natural way of the Swiss,” he said.
Orthopaedists who impacted the specialty
Farron said some of the other surgeons who had a positive impact on orthopaedic surgery in the country, and on swiss orthopaedics, were Placide Nicod, MD, who was the organization’s second president in 1944. Nicod performed some of the first orthopaedic procedures in the country.
Norbert Gschwend, MD, is a past president from Zurich. According to Farron, Gschwend, who was a cofounder of the European Society for Surgery of the Shoulder and Elbow. made important contributions to swiss orthopaedics in the 1970s.
Farron, who is a specialist in shoulder and elbow surgery, also said Christian Gerber, MD, who was swiss orthopaedics president in 2010, is a leader internationally and helped established clear indications for shoulder arthroplasty.
The Swiss have also made world-famous contributions in foot and ankle surgery and children’s surgery, in which, Farron said, “we have changed the general environment.”
In June 2016, Bernhard Jost, MD, will become president of swiss orthopaedics. The society’s next annual meeting is scheduled for 28 to 30 June 2017 in St. Gallen, Switzerland. – by Susan M. Rapp
- Reference:
- www.swissorthopaedics.ch.
- For more information:
- Alain Farron, MD, is Chief of Service at Service d’orthopédie et de traumatology. He can be reached at Bureau HO/06/1644, Avenue Pierre Decker 4, CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; email: alain.farron@chuv.ch.
- Jacques Menetrey, MD, can be reached at rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland; email: jacques.menetrey@hcuge.ch.
Disclosures: Farron reports he receives a salary from swiss orthopaedics. Menetrey reports no relevant financial disclosures.