International Satellite Conference on Injuries to the Extremities in War and Humanitarian Disasters Held at RSU

Following global events and based on a long-term cooperation with Barilan University (Israel), the Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) Department of Orthopaedics organised an international satellite conference Modern Management of Severe Orthopaedic Injuries in War, Mass Casualty Situations, and Humanitarian Disasters.  The event was held on 31 March 2023 at the RSU Medical Education Technology Centre (METC) as part of RSU Research Week.

The conference featured lectures by world renowned orthopaedic trauma surgeons, vascular surgeons, and microsurgeons from Israel, the USA, Sweden, and the Baltic States. In addition to the international specialists, RSU students, residents, lecturers, and orthopaedic traumatologists from Latvian and Baltic hospitals participated in the conference. The conference gave them the opportunity to develop and upgrade their knowledge and practical skills, as well as to exchange experience in the treatment of injuries to extremities in war.

The conference was attended by more than 700 participants (150 in person, 600 remotely).

The event concluded with practical sessions on using artificial bone models and demonstrations of the use of external fixation devices for severe injuries to extremities conducted by Professor Alexander Lerner from Israel and Professor Nikolaj Wolfson from the USA. Vascular surgeon David McGreevy from Sweden conducted practical sessions using a REBOA (Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta) simulator.