Over 500 orthopedic surgeons and physiotherapists participated in the 32nd annual conference hosted in association with the Indian Foot and Ankle Society (IFAS)

The Indian Spinal Injuries Centre (ISIC), orthopedic healthcare provider in the country, has brought together more than 500 national and international orthopedic surgeons and physiotherapists under the umbrella of IFASCON 2019, the 32nd annual conference hosted in association with the Indian Foot and Ankle Society (IFAS).

The academic and training sessions at the conference, in keeping with the theme of ‘Foot Surgery Simplified’, were addressed by 15 renowned international faculty members and more than 30 faculty members from India. The training sessions included a cadaveric workshop and a workshop on novel techniques for total ankle replacement. Besides, participants also explored opportunities of being selected for prestigious fellowshipsfrom the UK, the USA, Singapore,Germany, and India, some of which come with full salary.

Dr. Maninder Shah Singh, Senior Consultant Orthopaedics & Chief of Foot & Ankle Services , Indian Spinal Injuries Centre (ISIC) said, “The conference started at a small scale when foot and ankle surgeries were not considered as an important domain. Earlier, orthopedic surgeons had to go abroad to attend foot and ankles courses. However, in last 5 years, orthopedic surgeons and physiotherapists have become increasingly interested in corrective surgeries of foot and ankle. That is reflected in the large number of participants this year. The interest in the cadaveric workshop demonstrating total ankle replacement was very encouraging. It is still a new field in India despite ankle-related sprain being common in young people and sportspersons. This is a promising field and surgeons are keen to know more about it. We also had a rehabilitation workshop and couple of other topics.”

Foot and ankle problems affect a large number of people in India across age groups – some of the most prevalent problems are flat foot, pain in heels and sprains in ankles. Challenges including late presentations, delayed diagnosis, neglected cases, malunions, complex deformities and diabetic foot often delay treatment and increase complications.

“As a sub-domain of orthopedics, foot and ankle surgeries have come a long way in its journey to be established as a specialty in India. There is a substantial amount of interest in doctors to explore new domains and sub-domains as well as acquire deeper knowledge of their existing domains. Events like IFASCON2019 is aimed at addressing their needs and training them on new processes to speed up correct diagnosis and provide quicker relief to the people,” says Dr. H S Chhabra

The conference began in New Delhi with a pre-conference workshop on Thursday and will conclude on Sunday.