name: alkinoos athanasiou, md, msc, phd nationality … · 2018-02-22 · neurochirurgie, centre...

Name: AlkinoosAthanasiou,MD,MSc,PhD

Nationality/Countryofresidence:

Greece

PlaceofWork: -LabofMedicalPhysics,FacultyofMedicine,AristotleUniversityofThessaloniki-InterbalkanMedicalCenter,Thessaloniki

Specialization: NeurosurgeryMemberofEUROSPINEsince: 2017Fellowship: October2017

CliniquedeNeurochirurgie,CentreHospitalierRégionalUniversitairedeLille,FranceProf.RichardAssaker

Thessaloniki,27October2017

My name is Alkinoos Athanasiou and I am a recently board-certified neurosurgeon in Greece and a member ofEUROSPINEsince thisyear.Aftercompletingmy residency in theDepartmentofNeurosurgeryofAHEPAUniversityGeneralHospital,Thessaloniki,Greece,IamoperatingundertheguidanceofProf.IoannisMagrasintheInterbalkanMedicalCenter.Ourfocusinprivatepracticeliesonspineoperationsandmyfieldofspecializationisdevelopinguponspinalpathologiesincludingtraumaanddegenerativedisease.IalsoworkasaresearchassociateintheLabofMedicalPhysics,FacultyofMedicine,AristotleUniversityofThessaloniki,undermyadvisorProf.PanagiotisDBamidis,wheremymainresearchprojectdealswithassistiveroboticsforspinalcordinjurypatients.InOctober2017,thankstotheEUROSPINEShortTermFellowshipsprogram,Igottheuniqueopportunitytoattendatwo weeks time alongside one of the great spine Masters of our time – Prof. Richard Assaker in Clinique deNeurochirurgie, CentreHospitalier RégionalUniversitaire de Lille, France. Itwas a pleasure toparticipate in such aprogram,whichallowedmetoacquireboththeoreticalknowledgeandtechnicalexpertiseinmanyaspectsofspinepathologiesandinallstagesfromdiagnosistotreatment,includingmyparticipationtotheactivitiesofthespinalstaffandhands-onexposure.Itcanbesaidthataboveall,theteachingsIreceivedfromProf.Assakerduringmyshortstayinducedapersonalparadigmshift,especiallywithregardstomanagementofadultdeformityandsagittalbalance.During this time Iwas involved inmany staff activities including outpatient clinic, case discussion, decision-makingprocess,patientcareandsurgery. Iwasalsogiventheopportunity toscrub inandassistduringsomeselectedandinteresting cases. As such, I got practical exposure to techniques completely novel to my practice so far, such asbipolar thoraco/sacroiliac instrumentation and different kinds of osteotomies for treatment of adult deformity.Especially interesting was to observe and, more importantly, be taught the rationale underlying minimal invasivelumbar operations, including laminotomy for stenosis and discectomy. The use of O-arm and MRI-basedneuronavigationinspinesurgeryisanotherimportantaspectofspinaloperativesetupthatIgotaccesstothatfindswide application in degenerative disease and complex spinal trauma aswell. I also especially value the theoreticallectures that the professor gave, during my visit, on sagittal balance basics and biomechanics, computation andtreatment of deformity, as well as on cervical spine balance, topics that few centers have the experience tosuccessfullyapplyandteach.IwouldliketosincerelythankProf.RichardAssakerforhisintensivementorshipduringmyshortstayinLille,aswellas his team for their hospitality. Iwould also like to thank Prof. IoannisMagraswho suggested and insisted that Iattend this fellowship under Prof. Assaker and also the EUROSPINE Education and Fellowship Committee thatprovidedmewiththisopportunity.IhopethatIwillbeabletoputallmyrecentlyacquiredknowledgetogooduse,for the benefit of spine patients undermy care and for the sake of improving the quality of provided care inmypracticeandinspinalsurgeryinmyhomecountryingeneral.

AlkinoosAthanasiou