July 28, 2022

The program at The National is once again split into two convenient tracks, one covering medical topics and the other covering surgical topics. Choose to follow one or mix and match sessions to customize your meeting experience! Thursday afternoon’s surgical track focuses on a challenge every surgeon will face: complications. The National Today spoke with track leader and moderator Patrick Burns, DPM, to learn more about what attendees can expect:

TNT: Why is the topic of complications so important?

Dr. Burns: Anyone who does foot and ankle surgery will have complications. Complications such as nonunion and infection are some of the most common, so the topics cover how to manage these along with examples and pearls. In addition, the use of patient specific 3D technology and implants is growing, and this lecture will give a review of the process and some examples of where it can be used in foot and ankle surgery.

TNT: How did you choose the specific complications that will be covered in this session?

Dr. Burns: The complications covered in general are everyday, real-life complications that everyone doing surgery will see. The lectures also give techniques such as bone graft options and methods to help manage bone infection that again are very useful for anyone performing foot and ankle surgery.

TNT: What complications do you see most often in practice? Which do you find most challenging?

Dr. Burns: Some of the most common deal with the first ray and surgery for PTTD, which is why [those complications] are covered in particular with technique pearls and examples.

TNT: What pearls will attendees be able to apply after attending this session?

Dr. Burns: Attendees will be shown different ways and places to obtain bone graft to help deal with nonunion; they will be shown some tips and techniques for infection management including antibiotic spacers and fixation pearls to help deal with osteomyelitis. They will also be shown examples of common complications regarding first ray surgery and those for acquired flatfoot/PTTD.

TNT: What may be new or surprising?

Dr. Burns: I think the bone grafting and tips for local antibiotic delivery will be useful, as well as examples of fixation considerations for some of our common surgeries. I also think the specific examples utilizing custom patient specific 3D implants may be new to many people and may give some new views on ways to revise and salvage some of our post op complications.

TNT: What else should attendees know?

Dr. Burns: There will be many examples of complications and tips/techniques on how they were addressed which may help anyone doing foot and ankle surgery if they encounter similar. The use of 3D will be of interest for most as well as this is an evolving technology. Also it is worth mentioning the skill set of the lecturers. They are all well trained, active in teaching and are experienced in all these topics so I’m sure everyone in attendance will pick up a trick or learn a new technique.

To read more from The National, check out The National Today.