The 13th Annual Caribbean Neurosciences Symposium (CANS) and Workshops took place January 29th to February 1st, 2015 in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
This year’s focus was on updates in Trauma, ICU Care, Orthopaedic, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Spine and Neurosurgery, Radiation Oncology, Neurotrauma, Stroke Cerebrovascular Disease, Neurological Rehabilitation, Neurology and Minimal Access Surgery. The Symposium was hosted by the Caribbean Neurological Association, in conjunction with the Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Radiology, Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, University Hospital of the West Indies.
Cost effective, excellent care
In welcoming all participants to the Symposium, Professor Ivor Crandon, Chairman of CANS and Head of Neurosurgery at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) Jamaica, said that the guiding principles of International Standards of Care, Technological Advancements, Education, Research and Community Service, serve as the impetus for the development of neurosurgery at the UHWI. He urged the medical practitioners present to always find the most cost effective methods of providing excellent care to their patients, despite the numerous challenges encountered. Professor Cranston welcomed the Minister of Health in Jamaica, the Honourable Dr. Fenton Ferguson, who extended greetings to the gathering, giving heartiest congratulations to the organizers of the Symposium on their exceptional leadership and commitment. Minister Ferguson expressed his confidence that the outcomes of the Symposium will continue to contribute tremendously to the development of health policies in Jamaica.
Presentations
Presenters at the symposium varied in their levels of expertise, ranging from resident doctors from various hospitals in the territory, including Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad, to world renowned experts in the field of Neuroscience. Some of the Special Guest Lecturers and their presentations were:
• Dr. Roberto C. Heros MD FACS, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Miami – “Spinal Arteriovenous Malformations”, “Intracranial Dural Fistulas”;
• Dr. Charles B. Agbi, MB, FRCS, FRCS Ed (SN), FRCSC, Associate Professor, University of Ottawa Residency Program and Director, Division of Neurosurgery at the Ottawa Hospital – “ Approaches to Lesions in the Anterior Skull Base”;
• Dr. Enrique Rosario Fonseca, Chairman, World Federation of Neurological Societies, Spine Committee and President of the Columbian Society of Clinical Neurosurgery – “Trigeminal Neuralgia, Surgical Treatment”, “Endoscopy in Lumbar Degenerative Disc Diseases”;
Other presenters included Dr. John Gill, Consultant Neurosurgeon – Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Barbados, Dr. Kester Nedd, Neurologist/Neurorehabilitation and Founder/CEO of the JIPA Network, Florida, Dr. Carl Bruce, Consultant Neurosurgeon and Associate Lecturer – University of the West Indies, Mona Campus and Dr. Luis J. Almodóvar, Director, Neuro-Oncology Department – HIMA San Pablo Oncological Hospital in Puerto Rico.
Featured workshop
One of the workshops held this year focused on Concussion in Sports. The workshop was conducted by Dr. Kester Nedd and Dr. Gillian Hotz, Ph.D. – University of Miami’s Department of Neurological Surgery. Concussion in sports has been receiving much attention in the media recently, especially with injuries and resultant deaths that have occurred in cricket, football and other high contact sports. The workshop was conducted following Dr Nedd’s presentation on the “Pathophysiology and Clinical Implications of Concussions, Assessment and Treatment” and Dr. Hotz’s presentation on “Best Practices for Concussion Management – Current US Guidelines and the University of Miami Protocol and Surveillance System”. Members of the Jamaican Sporting Fraternity, including the Chairman of the Jamaica Football Federation, Dr. Guyan Arscott and Coach of the Jamaica’s National Under 20 Football Team, Mr. Theodore Whitmore, were among the participants at the workshop.
‘TEE’ for Charity
Within the last seven (7) years of the Symposium and Workshops, an amateur charity golf tournament has been held during the event, to raise funds to purchase well-needed medical equipment. This year, the Cinnamon Hill Golf course in Montego Bay, Jamaica, was the venue for the 8th staging of the CANS Golf Tournament, held on Saturday, January 31, 2015. With a targeted amount of J$5 Million, proceeds from the event will go towards the purchasing of anaesthetic and surgical machines (for spinal injuries) for the University Hospital of the West Indies.
Major sponsors of the event included Jackson Memorial Hospital, Joint Independent Provider Association (JIPA) Network and Medtronic, Les Society, all based in the United States of America and Medical Technologies (Meditech) Limited operating from Kingston, Jamaica.
