Why the Atlanta Breast Surgery Symposium is So Close to My Heart
It’s hard to believe that the Southeastern Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons’ annual Breast Surgery Symposium has once again come and gone. It seems like just yesterday that I was at last year’s symposium with the great honor of celebrating Dr. Carl Hartrampf, with whom I’ve worked very closely throughout my career, on 30 years of success since he founded the symposium in 1984. This year, it was my distinct pleasure to not only share my knowledge on breast reconstruction techniques, but to once again serve as emeritus chair to the symposium, an event in which I so strongly believe.
As in many fields, cooperation and collaboration are what make plastic surgery better. All plastic surgeons have the same goal: to provide our patients with the best results and the best care possible. And to that end, there are always new techniques, new pieces of knowledge, and new technological advancements. The importance of an event like the Atlanta Breast Surgery Symposium is in giving plastic surgeons an opportunity to share this knowledge. Every surgeon, whether they’re newly certified or have the extensive surgical experience that I do, needs to stay current in order to provide their patients with exemplary care, and this symposium encourages and celebrates that vital purpose.
The focus on this year’s symposium, “Simplifying Safety and Outcomes,” was also very near and dear to me. It’s certainly important for patients to be satisfied with their cosmetic results, but at the end of the day, safety is just as important. Between new techniques and safety-focused technology, patient safety is constantly improving, making it all the more important for surgeons to collaborate and stay up-to-date through events like this past weekend’s symposium.
Throughout the past 31 years, the Atlanta Breast Surgery Symposium has proven to be a phenomenal educational experience for everyone involved. It combines traditional lectures and discussion panels with unique live surgical demonstrations. Broadcast from Northside Hospital, the live demonstrations are an opportunity for registrants to see the latest techniques and procedures just as they’re performed. This combination is part of what has made the symposium so successful, with registrants from as many as 15 different countries.
The Atlanta Breast Surgery Symposium is the leading conference for cosmetic breast surgeries, and it’s part of the reason that there are so many successful, confidence-restoring breast surgeries performed every year. It has helped not only me but surgeons throughout the world to provide better results and care for their patients, and serving as this symposium’s emeritus chair is an honor that I cherish year after year. For more information from this year’s symposium and upcoming events, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.