UK Traveling Surgery Society visits the University of Toronto
The Traveling Surgical Society of Great Britain and
Ireland is a unique group aiming to promote in-person
interaction and information exchange. Though founded
in 1924 well before the internet changed the way physicians
disseminate information to the world, the Society
continues to provide an interactive platform beyond the
telecommunication and online realm that has become
the norm. Through annual national and international
travels, the TSS has provided much intellectual stimulation
and social pleasure its members.
This year, the Society took its first trip to Canada.
Organized by TSS President Terry Irwin, Secretary Brian
Ellis and our own Dr. Jim Rutka, 28 members spent a
week in Toronto where all enjoyed hospital visits and
academic rounds from June 3rd to 12th. Special Society
guests included plastic surgeon Joe Hardwicke; Price
Thomas fellow, and colorectal surgeon David Evans;
from Blackburn. The group was able to enjoy some of
the city’s iconic sites such as the CN Tower, Niagara
Falls, the ROM, Fort York, the AGO, Casa Loma, as well
as dinner receptions in their honour.
On three consecutive days, the TSS was welcomed to
Mount Sinai, St. Michael’s, and the Princess Margaret
Cancer Center for a day of presentations, discussion,
and distribution of TSS Registrar Prizes for Department
of Surgery residents. The winners included (respective to
hospital sessions) Dr. Emily Partridge for her presentation
on artificial placenta, Dr. Stephanie Mason for her
presentation on major outcomes of burn injury, and Dr.
Andrea Covelli for her presentation on mastectomies.
Keynote speakers presented on medical treatment and
lessons learned from the Falkland Conflicts, Afghanistan
and Camp Bastion. The formal clinical presentations
spoke to a variety of topics including local sarcoma and
hereditary gastric cancer programs, colorectal cancer,
pancreatic tumours, hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy
(HIPEC), liver transplantation, drug smuggling
in the gut, and innovative methods of abdominal
wall closures.
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UK Traveling Society in the lab at Mt. Sinai Hospital
UK Travelling Society members
Each afternoon, the TSS visited a particular skills
center. At the Mount Sinai Surgical Skills Center, our
visitors were able to watch students practice a variety
of procedures. At the Allan Waters Family Simulation
Center at St. Michael’s, they were shown the Basic Life
Support (BLS) and trauma management programs and
their application using the simulated patient and life
support equipment. Finally, they were able to witness
the ventilation and experimental perfusion of an exvivo
pig lung at the Latner Thoracic Surgery Research
Laboratories in the Toronto General Research Institute,
as part of the lung transplant program.
UK Travelling Society memorabilia
This special event was a first of its kind for the
Department of Surgery, providing a cross-border academic
and technical exchange with the opportunity for
spirited discussion and debate along the way.
Joanna Giddens, Strategic Plan Coordinator,
Department of Surgery, University of Toronto
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