The first international medical conference on hernias to be held in Saudi Arabia will start on Jan. 13 at the InterContinental Riyadh, in the presence of an elite group of specialized local and international doctors.
The two-day conference, aims to acquaint more than 300 health personnel in the Kingdom with the latest methods of treating hernia, and develop their surgical skills by sharing global experiences of dealing with hernia patients. The overall goal is to develop the level of health services provided to patients in the Kingdom.
The event features 12 sessions presented by renowned experts from the Middle East and beyond, including Vice President of the European Society for Thoracic and Esophageal Surgery Professor Dr. Sebastian Schopmann, who is a lecturer at the University of Austria.
The conference includes several important axes, foremost of which is awareness and education about hernia and the latest methods of treatment, exchange of experiences between doctors for the benefit of the Saudi patient, and introducing new technologies in terms of the methods of performing laparoscopic surgeries.
Professor Dr. Schopmann, who is also the honorary president of the conference, said that the Commission for Health Specialties, the Saudi Surgical Society and more than 12 Saudi and international doctors will participate in the conference, in addition to the participation of over 300 health practitioners from all health sectors operating in the Kingdom.
“The conference, which is the first in terms of comprehensiveness for hernia patients, the quality of topics and the selection of specialists, will allow the exchange of experiences between doctors to reach the best treatment method, which will benefit patients,” he said.
There are more than 4,000 hernia patients in the world out of every 100,000 over the age of 45 years.
Dr. Ashraf Mughrabi, president of the Saudi Society of Surgery, underlined the importance of the conference in developing the level of health services provided to the patient.
Dr. Ibrahim Al-Babtain, consultant surgeon at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, said that abdominal hernias are the most common, caused by a history of previous surgeries, weak abdominal muscles or an inactive lifestyle, which leads to weakness in the abdominal wall and develops into a specific opening or defect through which a hernia occurs and fatty tissues or organs protrude in the abdomen. He added that all types of hernias are treated with surgical intervention.
Others attending the conference include: Dr. Haitham Al-Zamil, Dr. Ahmed Al-Barkan, Prof. Dr. Omar Al-Obeid, Dr. Hussam Al-Omari, Dr. Hussam Uday, Dr. Swailem Al-Mutairi, Dr. Shadi Saleh Al-Bahri, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Al-Naami and Dr. Roger Gergi.
