President’s Message from Dr. Robert G. Parker Presented at the Association of Extremity Nerve Surgeons’ Annual Symposium in Scottsdale, AZ, in 2012
It was an absolute joy and privilege to participate in our Association of Extremity Nerve Surgeons’ Annual Symposium in Scottsdale in 2012. To our past president, Dr. Peter Bregman, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for your dedication, leadership, and guidance these past two years.
There is indeed truth in Newton’s quote about “standing on the shoulders of giants”. At this time, I’d like to acknowledge our mentor, Dr. Lee Dellon. Lee and Luianne, it’s an honor to have both of you here with us tonight.I want to welcome our leaders, all the way back to our founders; our board of directors; dedicated faculty who teach our concepts and procedures; as well as our capable director, Krista Richter. Not only have they generated the momentum to keep this great organization moving forward, they have done so with the wisdom to keep it moving in the right direction.
We have all benefited so much from their contributions and volunteerism. I know that every member of AENS joins with me in thanking you from the depths of our hearts. A very warm welcome also goes out to the new Fellows and new members. You are invaluable to our association.
Is there another area of medicine so misunderstood, and yet with so much compelling evidence of its value for patients suffering from chronic nerve pain, than ours?
Look at a few of our accomplishments from just the past eleven years:
- Association of Extremity Nerve Surgeons established in 2001
- Annual symposiums held
- Development of basic and advanced surgical training courses
- Fundamental and Masters’ cadaveric courses
- Publishing of multiple journal articles
- Formation of The Research Foundation
- Completion of the APMA Affiliation
- Establishment of MAYO Clinic Microsurgical courses
- Teams traveling to Ecuador to change lives
AENS IS A QUEST FOR THE TRUTH!
"All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them."
Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
AENS surgeons help patients who come to them with little hope of ever being out of pain. Who then, except for our small group of dedicated surgeons, is there to help them?
We’ve all heard comments like these:
- You saved my life.
- You gave me my wife back.
- God sent you to me.
- I have no pain; I have no pain.
- I can lift my foot up now; it’s stronger.
- I don’t trip and fall anymore.
WE HAVE THE EVIDENCE! WE HAVE THE EXPERIENCE!
It is now up to us to get the message out. Our time has come!
My platform this year is to propose that members work together to promote AENS Local Area Nerve Network Programs so our association can continue to educate, spread the word, and expand in local communities.
- Each AENS Fellow can become THE nerve referral resource in at least one of these referral specialties: orthopedic, podiatric, allopathic and osteopathic, physiatric, and neurologic.
- You can encourage and enlist at least one board certified surgeon in your own community or state that you know to be ethical, and start the process of helping him or her become a skilled Fellow of the AENS.
- You can host a small “Invitation Only” meeting in your hometown or community for your referral sources and peers. Perhaps you can get a sponsor or a vendor. Give a presentation yourself or have a “Speaker from afar”, a fellow AENS member, as a presenter.
For example, two of us hosted our first “Nerve Network Affiliate” meeting the week prior to the Annual Symposium in Scottsdale. Applied Biologics agreed to sponsor the evening. Dr. Rick Jacoby gave a presentation on Amnio Matrix procedures and I introduced the AENS with the program you will see below. We educated several local referring surgeons and had a great evening with outstanding feedback.
We must first answer the questions that may be in the minds of the potential referring doctors or future Fellows.
- What is the Association of Extremity Nerve Surgeons and why was it founded?
- What is the AENS surgeon capable of doing?
- Who are the members of AENS in your community?
- How can you affiliate with an AENS surgeon as a referral source to help your patients?
- How can the AENS be a resource for you to develop the skill set and become a Fellow?
A sample presentation might look like this:
THE NERVE PRACTICE: HOW AENS CAN BE A RESOURCE FOR YOU
WHAT IS THE ASSOCIATION OF EXTREMITY NERVE SURGEONS AND WHY WAS IT FOUNDED?
The A.E.N.S. was founded as a society to promote the collaborative study and development of medical research regarding the treatment of extremity nerve disease. (*This is the Mission Statement of the AENS.)
Membership is inclusive of MD, DO, DPM, PhD and medical student individuals interested in furthering the dissemination of current knowledge and development of basic medical research in peripheral nerve disease.
WHAT IS THE AENS SURGEON CAPABLE OF DOING?
AENS is comprised of a multi-disciplined group of surgeons capable of addressing multi-faceted aspects of nerve conditions, including: Prescription nerve medicine; treatment modalities; testing; science; biologics and nutriceuticals; nerve decompression procedures; nerve repairs including grafting and wrapping; reconstructive microsurgery and cadaver courses to increased knowledge of surgical anatomy.
NERVE SURGEONS AND WHY:
- First you have to know if the treasure exists.
- Then you have to find the exact map needed.
- Next, you must decipher the map to determine where the treasure is buried.
- At this point, you have to carefully dig to locate and free the treasure.
- Finally, you can enjoy the real treasure: a pain-free patient.
YOUR PRESENTATION SHOULD INCLUDE THAT WHILE AENS EXPANDS MULTIPLE SERVICES IN YOUR PRACTICE, YOU CANNOT DECOMPRESS EVERY PATIENT.
Those in attendance at your presentation will learn about therapeutic lasers and diagnostic lasers with neuropathy. The AENS surgeon will enhance his or her knowledge using biophysiology; neurobiologics; regenerative medicine; bio D amnio matrix; nerve reconstruction; wraps; allografts; conduits; implement neuro-neutriceuticals and transdermal compounded medicines; neuropathy relief systems; and compounded Rx.
It is important to understand the relationahip between large and small fiber neuropathy, pain management, l mm arterial anastomosis to a 1 mm vein and most importantly—standardize your neuroexam.
ASK THE ATTENDEES AT YOUR PRESENTATION IF THEY HAVE EVER ASKED THEMSELVES:
Who can help me with these nerve problems? To whom can I send this nerve case?
ASK THE ATTENDEES IF THEY HAVE EVER MET WITH PATIENTS WHO WERE EXPERIENCING SOME OF THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS:
- Patients with double neuromas taken out of both feet
- Recurrent neuromas operated on two or more times
- Entrapments of nerves in scar at Brostroms or ankle repairs
- Drop foot cases
- Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome & recurrent Tarsal Tunnel
- Burning sensations down the anterior leg and foot
- CRPS
- RLS
- CMT
- General neuroapathy
INFORM THE ATTENDEES THAT THE AENS CAN BE A RESOURCE NOT ONLY FOR THEM BUT FOR THEIR PATIENTS AND ASK THEM TO DO ONE OF TWO THINGS:
- Affiliate with an AENS surgeon in your community as a solution for their nerve challenges
OR
- Become an AENS trained nerve surgeon and join us!
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO BEGIN AN AFFILIATE PROGRAM IN YOUR AREA.
AENS WILL HELP YOU, OUR MEMBERS, TO SET UP LOCAL AREA NERVE NETWORKS BY:
- Establishing an AENS network of presenters, the “Speakers from afar”.
- Invitations can be sent out by the AENS office.
Create or access a Power Point presentation for the network doctors or perhaps have an instructional session to teach community doctors how to diagnose entrapments and how to use diagnostic injections to confirm entrapments before referring to an AENS doctor.
IN CLOSING, WHAT IS THE CHARGE OR COMMITMENT OF AENS FOR 2013?
It is to tell our story and to have our message get to the patients who need our services and to continue with the extraordinary programs already initiated. This is our association and only we can advance and empower our members to:
- Fully implement regenerative medicine into our nerve practices
- Increase knowledge and use of appropriate testing PSSD’s, NIM’S, EMG’s, NCS’S, MRI’s
- Standardize AENS upper and lower extremity neuroexams and algorithms, and diagnostic skills
- Enhance AENS members’ marketing and social media with AAPPM leaders such as Hal Ornstein and Rem Jackson’s Top Practices
- Team up with pain management, neurology, orthopedists and neurosurgeons; expand form networks
- Attend and support AENS trainings, webinars and meetings
- Support Drs. Scott Nickerson, Rick Jacoby, and Stephen Barrett with our Extremity Nerve Research Foundation, a 501c Non-profit organization by participation, donation, or data collection
- Participate in our Ecuador Mission Project to provide charitable outreach and help the underprivileged led by Dr. Jim Wilton
- Help Dr. Andrew Radar implement the Mentor’s Program for new members
- Offer to assist with our audio-visual tasks led by Dr. Peyman Elison
- Offer to give AENS presentations across the country
- Help expand our upper extremity members by personally inviting and informing new doctors about the AENS
It’s an honor and a privilege to be your new president!
Fraternally,
Robert Parker
Robert Parker, DPM, FACFAS, FAENS
THE BEST IS YET TO COME!
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