Neurosurgery Legends Teach in Salzburg

Learning by doing is often the best way to truly understand a certain process or topic, especially when the subject is as complex as neurosurgery in the spinal region. At OMI, we encourage lifelong learning and want to ensure that our fellows get the best possible educational experience. The annual Neurosurgery (Spine) course, which took place from October 6 to 12, 2024, was no exception to this rule.

If the optimal education for young neurosurgeons by top experts means procuring lab rooms at the Paracelsus Medical University (PMU) Salzburg, outfitted with the best Medtronic and Zeiss technology, and three wet lab specimens, OMI makes it happen.

However, the success of the seminar could not have been accomplished without our committed international faculty members. The cohort consisted of long-time OMI supporters course director Dr. Roger Härtl (Weill Cornell Medicine) and co-course director Dr. Claudius Thomé (Medical University of Innsbruck), Dr. Massimo Balsano (University Hospital of Verona, Italy), Dr. Marisa Gandía (University Hospital La Paz, Spain), Dr. Harry H. Gebhard (Kantonsspital Baselland, Switzerland), Dr. Ibrahim Hussain (Weill Cornell Medicine), Dr. Lawrence G. Lenke (Columbia University), Dr. Bernhard Meyer (Technical University of Munich, Germany), Dr. Sheeraz Qureshi (Weill Cornell Medicine), Dr. K. Daniel Riew (Columbia University), and last but not least Dr. Michael S. Virk (Weill Cornell Medicine). Dr. Lenke, also known as the father of modern scoliosis surgery, and Dr. Riew held their lectures remotely. The nine experts who were present in person not only taught our fellows in the lecture hall but also demonstrated their expertise with both scalpel and microscope during the anatomy labs.

When asked for a summary of this week’s seminar, Dr. Härtl stated: “This week’s course focused on the interaction between faculty and course participants. We had very active Q&A sessions and case presentations. We talked a lot about decision-making in spinal surgery, which is tremendously important, and I was very happy that we could discuss this topic in detail. On Wednesday, our attention shifted to the practical exercises in the lab.”

The seminar structure prepared the fellows for the practical activities that were truly marked as the highlight of the week, the hands-on training sessions. Fellows could be seen eagerly taking notes during the 18 didactic lectures, exchanging opinions on the surgical techniques in their 25 respective home countries, and attentively listening to each other’s case presentations. The faculty’s lecture topics ranged from minimally invasive spinal surgery and basic instrumentation techniques to spinal endoscopy and spinal tumors.

Dr. Virk was one of the faculty members who taught at the wet lab on Wednesday. When asked about his thoughts as an instructor during the hands-on training sessions, he had the following to say: “Anatomy labs are a critical part of training in spine surgery. The vertebral column, neural, and vascular structures represent complex anatomy and require surgeons to carefully hone their understanding of this spatial relationship. To accomplish this, anatomy labs are among the greatest opportunities. This experience allows the trainee to work closely with a surgeon to perform intricate stepwise approaches, explore anatomical relationships, and practice techniques in a realistic environment. For some trainees, this is their first exposure to some of the fundamental procedures. For others, it allows them to attempt more complex procedures in a safe, controlled setting. This experience is becoming increasingly rare in modern training and is thus all the more valuable.”

Dr. Virk further remarked, “It is our goal to provide each trainee with the support and education that permits them to take their training to the next level. Ultimately, we hope that they will walk away with an enhanced understanding of spinal anatomy, pathology, and the surgical techniques required to treat them effectively.”

The 36 fellows were thrilled to be able to practice their surgical skills during the two wet lab sessions. The participants were split into two groups, which were both able to participate in hands-on training at three different stations. These focused on O-arm spinal 3D navigation, microscope lumbar decompression, and cervical decompression and fusion.

One of this week’s fellows, Dr. László Szivos from Hungary happily agreed to tell us a bit about his experience during the lab. For him, the hands-on training was “a unique opportunity to perform different surgical procedural steps using the latest neurosurgical devices. The lab was like a real OR experience. Faculty members provided us with detailed knowledge from their own experiences, including pitfalls for each procedure.” The surgeon was able to use spinal neuronavigation equipped by O-arm for the first time and enhanced his understanding of navigated screw implantation. He plans to use his newly gained skills in his future career.

We would like to extend our gratitude to the faculty for sharing their expertise and skills and the team members from Medtronic and Zeiss for supplying us with the needed technical equipment for the labs!