Media Release

Ajman, Apr 12: The third international conference and workshop on 'Hands on Cadaveric Interventional Pain Management' was recently held at Gulf Medical University, here. The conference focussed on safety aspects in practice, according to the course director Dr Tariq Tramboo, MD FIPP.

The programme was jointly held with Jordan Pain Society. Didactic lectures, panel discussions, focus sessions, hands-on cadaveric workshop guided by Fluoroscopy were the scientific highlights of the workshop.

“Pain medicine has developed as a super-specialty in the west over the last 15 years and is gaining prominence in the region”, said Dr Tariq Tramboo, a renowned pain physician from India and an international examiner for fellowship programme in pain prevention. “Around 30
specialists from nine countries (USA, UAE, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Jordan Egypt, Qatar, Australia, and India) participated in the workshop. These physicians are trained in management of acute and chronic painful conditions, and offer solutions, in consultation with the primary specialist”, he said. “The maximum numbers of cases are being referred by orthopaedicians and comprise people with back pain.  Neuro-physicians and oncologists also refer a large number of patients to provide relief from pain”, he added.

The intervention is carefully built on the diagnosis of the cause of the pain, and with involvement of multiple specialists. The highlight of the workshop was the demonstration of kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty by Dr Maan El Khatib, interventional radiologist from Harvard, who is presently working with King Hussein Cancer Centre in Amman, Jordan. Dr Ammar Salti, deputy head of anesthesia and pain management, Zayed Military Hospital, Abu Dhabi-UAE demonstrated on ultrasound guided blocks.

The participants were given hands on practice on the following: Cervical facet injection, thoracic sympathetic block, stellate ganglion block, sphenopalatine ganglion block, gasserian ganglion block, lumbar facet block, thoracic facet block, selective nerve root block, transforaminal epidural steroid block, Splanchnic nerve block, Celiac ganglion block, superior hypogastric block, lumber sympathetic block, sacroiliac joint block, impar ganglion block and caudal neuroplasty.

Physician entrepreneur Dr Sheriff Shaikh from India coordinated the entire event. “GMU is an excellent platform to take pain medicine forward throughout gulf region”, added Dr Tariq Tramboo. “This specialty is yet to be known by doctors and patients. We are here to create
awareness and improve standards”, he concluded.

The event was accredited by the Ministry of Health, UAE for 12.5 CME hrs.