Democratization is a noun. The meaning of democratization as it pertains to microsurgery is the action of making training and education available through technology, in this case, microsurgery in breast reconstruction. The chosen field of microsurgery requires hours of training and practice. Observing colleagues perform this sophisticated and complex surgery increases their own skill set with the primary goal being improving patient outcomes in breast reconstruction.

I invited back to the DiepCJourney podcast two internationally known microsurgeons. Dr. Joe Dusseldorp practices in Sydney, Australia and is a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of surgeons. He has a keen interest in microsurgery and did his training overseas to achieve this status. He is also trained to do robotic assisted surgery.

Dr. Minas Chrysopoulo is the current president of PRMA in San Antonio, Texas, and founder of the Breast Advocate®, a free shared decision-making app for breast cancer surgery and breast reconstruction. He holds a board certification in plastic surgery. As he states, board certification matters in your relevant field. Dr. C underwent further training in microsurgery that included burns and hand which led him to microsurgical breast reconstruction. It is the core of his practice with his team member surgeons at PRMA.

Dr. Joe invited Dr. C to join him live in the operating theater using the Proximie technology system to observe a robotic assisted DIEP flap breast reconstruction. When you hear the term “mate” from a London born microsurgeon, Dr. C, referring to Dr. Joe in Sydney, you know they have become colleagues in surgery as well as friends who have a passion for providing the best outcomes for breast cancer patients in breast reconstructive surgery.

I invite you enjoy the conversation and explanation of how these two cross-continental surgeons seamlessly joined each other via the Proximie technology system in the operating theater discussing, learning, and sharing their combined skill in a robotic assisted DIEP flap breast reconstruction. Dr. Joe and Dr. C both say this is the way forward, democratization in surgery, allowing more surgeons to train in real time, avoiding the need to travel and take them away from their patients and time in clinic and the OR.

Resources discussed in the Podcast.

Proximie Healthcare Platform

Dr. Joe’s DiepCFoundation educational video on Robotic Assisted DIEP flap

Dr. C’s DiepCFoundation educational video on Reducing Abdominal Complications: DIEP Flap

 

Connect with Dr. Joe

Dr. Joe on Instagram

Dr. Joe on Twitter

Dr. Joe on LinkedIn

Connect with Dr. Chrysopoulo

Dr. C. on Instagram

Dr. C. on Twitter

Dr. C. on LinkedIn

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