A first in Mauritius! The Minimally Invasive Surgery Association (MISA) is the first Mauritian organisation of surgeons with a common interest in minimally invasive surgery. The President, Dr Faisal Abbasakoor has already announced a major congress for October and the creation of the Surgical Journal, the first Mauritian scientific magazine focusing on the scope of minimally invasive surgery. Dr Damodaran Veerasamy is a senior consultant general surgeon, is the Vice President of the association.
While there are so many organizations of doctors, nurses and even, anaesthetists, there has never been an Association of Surgeons. These surgeons have come together to form MISA, which has a particular interest in minimally invasive surgery.
Minimally invasive surgery explained
This revolutionary interventional technique focused on comfort and rapid healing is surgery without having to make large openings and operate in the open. It is the opposite of traditional surgery. By using an endoscope, an optical tube with a lighting system that is inserted into the body through a very small incision, the surgeon gains easier access to organs and tissues. This technique prevents heavy bleeding, post-operative pain, unsightly scars and the risk of infection and, above all, shorter hospital stays and even outpatient operations. The patient suffers less pain and has less risk of post-operative complications.
As Dr Faisal Abbasakoor explains, “surgery covers a wide range of conditions, from curing cancer patients to a whole range of non-cancerous conditions, such as trauma, infection, inflammation, organ restoration or replacement… With minimally invasive surgery, patients recover faster and with less suffering.”
The importance of the Association, the Congresses and the Journal
He points out that “we are in an era of rapid technological progress and with our busy schedules, it is indeed very difficult to keep up with all the latest changes. This Association will play a key role in bringing surgeons together to keep abreast of the latest information on surgical advances.”
The Association will be open to all those registered with the Medical Council, both private and public. It will bring together members from general surgery, neurosurgery, plastic surgery, but also people from all medical fields, even nurses. “Membership will be at two levels, at Rs 5000 for active surgeons and Rs 2500 for other members. MISA wants to ensure the professional development of surgeons and doctors in the field of surgery and to foster a “good understanding” among all surgeons in Mauritius. To this end, funds obtained from membership fees and sponsorship will be used to organize seminars, training sessions and conferences,” announced Dr Ganessen Chinien, Treasurer of the new MISA.
The congress in October will feature the participation of several foreign professors. “Through the congresses, the vision is to provide a minimum level of care, a minimum standard of practice, and because our surgeons come from all over the world, it is important that we standardize the level of confidence in our resources. The Association aims to establish links and obtain budgets from international bodies, mainly from Europe and the United States, to enable exchanges and sponsorships, and to bring professors to Mauritius for master classes, saving our students and surgeons from going for studies abroad. The conference will reflect the studies but with a Mauritian touch”, said Dr Abbasakoor. He also took the opportunity to say that “one of the major problems in Mauritius is the volume of cases and it is preferable to have these speakers from all over the world to share on these rare, complex and extraordinary cases. The first Scientific Journal will serve this purpose. It will be a tribute to our mentors like Yves Quentin. We will build on their foundations and achieve our stated goals”.
