Page 33 - 2020 ISAKOS Newsletter Volume I

FELLOWSHIP REPORTS
Second Stop: Santiago, Chile
Santiago, a gorgeous city hugged by both the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean, was, without a doubt, one of the true highlights of the trip. Our Godfather, Dr. David Figueroa, had planned an incredible itinerary that enabled us to fully experience the culture of this remarkable city.
From the moment we arrived, we were made to feel very much at home. After landing in the late afternoon, we made our way to the hotel to shower and take a moment to decompress. We then made our way over to a beautiful penthouse restaurant overlooking the city. David and his wonderful wife, Loli, joined us for an exquisite culinary experience that was accompanied by one of the most incredible sunsets in memory, capping off a perfect evening that set the tone for this leg of the trip.
The next morning, we got up early and set out for the famous Clinica Alemana, a beautiful state-of-the-art facility in Vitacura, situated on the outskirts of Santiago. We started the day with a fantastic conference organized by the orthopaedic surgery residents, who quickly demonstrated why they are members of the top residency program in the country. Following presentations of a set of complex cases and a discussion of contemporary techniques for various knee pathologies, we were able to tour the grounds. As part of the tour, we found ourselves walking through a beautifully designed physical therapy and rehabilitation center. Featuring a large glass wall designed to allow ample ambient light to shine in, this stunning building also included a video analysis center for patients to review their progress. All of us left just a bit envious of the magnificent facilities at the Clinica Alemana.
After lunch, we headed to the center of the city to visit the public Hospital Mutual de Seguridad. Drs. Xabier Carredano and Maria Jesus Tuca de Diego presented a hospital environment that operates as a very high-volume Level-1 center that cares for many of the city’s inhabitants. After that, we reviewed the cases of some incredibly difficult knee dislocations that had recently been treated at the hospital. It was a truly enriching educational experience to learn how the hospital systematically manages so many difficult trauma cases.
Next, we had the opportunity to attend the meeting of the Sociedad Chilena de Cirugia de Rodilla, hosted by Dr. Daniel Apablaza, during which each of us were able to share a presentation on various topics in Sports Medicine. In addition, we were able to meet and converse with many of the top sports medicine and knee surgeons from the area.
If we thought that we couldn’t fit any more into one day, we still had one of the real high points of the entire journey ahead of us. David and his wife Loli hosted us at their house for one of the best dinners of the trip. Loli had put together an amazing spread for all of us, and David, the wine connoisseur, introduced us to many wonderful Chilean varieties. The fantastic discussion was also coupled with lots of laughter that continued well into the night.
The next morning, we set off for Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, a distinguished university dedicated to educating the next generation of top undergraduate and medical students in the country. First, we toured an enormous lab dedicated to simulation and were able to join the medical students in the cadaver lab as well. After that, we made our way to a small conference room, where Dr. Sebastian Irarrazaval treated us to one of the very best lectures that any of us had ever seen. In his presentation, which was worthy of being delivered as a TED talk, Dr. Irarrazaval described an awe-inspiring journey to the top of Mount Everest. In describing his role as the physician on a Chilean climbing team, he essentially took us to the mountainside where he had helped climbers from succumbing to the harsh world up in the sky. The video that he shared as he reached the summit gave us all chills as we experienced that moment with him.
Next, we made our way out into the city center, where we enjoyed an organized walking tour through the neighborhoods and bazaars of Santiago, ending with a fantastic lunch of delicious seafood. After we had had our fill, we made our way over to Clinica de Medicina Deportiva de Chile, where Dr. Cristian Fontbote showed us around the ultramodern clinic that cares for many elite athletes. We also toured a cutting-edge biomechanics laboratory that was working on quantifying the pivot shift. Our Godfather, Dr. David Figueroa, told us of a previous knee injury of his own, and we were able to test his knee in the lab with some of the contemporary equipment. While we decided that getting him back in the game was paramount, we ultimately decided to treat him nonoperatively. Sorry, David.
During our trip to Santiago, there were plenty of moments that brought both clarity and growth. My clinical care practice, research trajectory, and, most importantly, personal connections were all well served by this wonderful excursion, during which I learned that we have more similarities than differences in how we approach our patients and our practice. The trip to Santiago was a tremendous experience that we all will remember fondly for many years to come.
ISAKOS NEWSLETTER 2020: VOLUME I 31