In a proactive initiative towards achieving surgical accuracy and benefits for patients, the Department of Neurosurgery at Amrita Hospitals hosted the First Unilateral Biportal Endoscopic (UBE) Spine Surgery Live Operative Workshop & Hands-On Cadaver workshop in association with the Endoscopic Spine Foundation (India). The Course Director, Dr. Malcolm Pestonji, a renowned global pioneer in endoscopic spine surgery, was accompanied by the Organising Secretary, Dr. Satyakam Baruah, and a pool of esteemed faculty members, including Dr. Rahul Gupta, Dr. Vaibhav Jain, Dr. Hemant Varshney, Dr. Tarun Suri, & Dr. Pradeep Sharma.
The main focus of these workshops was on Unilateral Biportal Endoscopy, which symbolizes the latest and most innovative available technology with the highest success rate for endoscopic spine surgery. It is the new trend that is soon being recognized as an acceptable alternative option for the surgical management of spinal disorders due to its minimally invasive advantage and ability to address complex issues with relative preservation of spinal motion and stability.
An engaging experience at Day 1 of the program was the Live Operative Surgery Demonstration, which allowed participants to observe surgical procedures in a real-time setting from Neuro-OT 4 to the OT seminar room with interactivity between delegates and operating room staff. The afternoon included a Masterclass conducted by Dr. Pestonji that included detailed explanations of spinal anatomy and surgery delivered by Amrita faculty and students to registered delegates. The second day of the program was dedicated to the application of knowledge through the Amrita Cadaveric Lab, where 15 registered neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons from across India participated in intensive hands-on training. Equipped with four unique embalmed cadaver station setups, delegates received one-on-one instruction from Amrita's prestigious faculty, who trained them to utilize the UBE technique from lectures to actual practice through small group sessions at each station.
Amrita Hospital has an extremely effective medical educational model that forms the foundation of the success of this workshop. It represents a unique integration of both the observation of live surgical procedures and the experience of cadaver surgical training, which have traditionally been two separate forms of training offered by many facilities around the world. The holistic nature of Amrita’s approach to medical education has produced exceptional learning outcomes, as reported by those who attended the workshop.
The collaborative project between the Neurosurgery Department of Amrita Hospitals and Endoscopic Spine Foundation – India will take place annually. Further demonstrating Amrita Hospital's commitment to the highest level of surgical performance and the development of the future in minimally invasive spinal disorders.
