Fred Sweet, MD, a spine surgeon and co-founder of Rockford (Ill.) Spine Center, recently served as visiting professor at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia.
Here are five observations:
1. Dr. Sweet delivered a lecture on complex spine surgical reconstruction techniques, spinal deformity and his new procedure, transforaminal anterior release for the treatment of fixed sagittal imbalance and segmental kyphosis.
2. The TFAR surgical technique corrects a severely crooked spine and does so without cutting through bone, leading to less blood loss and shorter surgical times.
3. Dr. Sweet also presented information on infection control in orthopedic and spine surgery, including the latest techniques and prevention measures. This was followed by a cadaver workshop and demonstration of spine surgical techniques, including the TFAR technique.
4. The audience included surgeons, fellows and resident physicians from the orthopedic and spine departments at the University of Pennsylvania.
5. Dr. Sweet has previously been a visiting professor at Washington University in St. Louis, Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego and has been invited to Stanford (Calif.) University and Leatherman Spine Center in Louisville, Ky.