The 19th annual meeting of the Japan Society for the Study of
Surgical Technique for Spinal and Spinal Nerves
Greetings from the President

About 10 months have passed since the great East Japan Disaster on March 11, 2011.
The Tohoku district, including Hachinohe, suffered from significant damage, but our citizens are now working hard to rebuild the society. There are many obstacles we have overcome but many still remain.

The 19th annual meeting of the Japan Society for the Study of Surgical Technique for Spinal and Spinal Nerves (JPSTSS) will be held in Hachinoche City on 14th and 15th September 2012.
I am extremely honored to be the chairman of this professional conference.

It has been 18 years since the first meeting of JPSTSS, which was chaired by Dr. Kiyoshi Kumano and other founders in Tokyo. Since that first meeting, this field of spinal surgery has shown significant advancements both in surgical technique and instruments. I believe that the raison d'etre of this annual meeting is to share and disseminate knowledge of these surgical advancements to the medical fields in Japan.

There were three principles that were established at the first meeting, which still guide the JPSTSS today:

  1. The development and standardization of surgical procedures in spinal surgery throughout the world
  2. The exchange of knowledge and techniques between orthopedic spinal surgeons and neuro-spinal surgeons
  3. Voluntary participation with free expression of ideas.
    These principles have made the meeting successful throughout the years, especially when there was hot debate between orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons. The participation of many foreign guest speakers has also been very beneficial to spinal surgery in Japan.　
    Surgical methods have changed over the years. These changes have occurred in response to needs in the field at certain times. The challenges of these needs created new techniques and surgical advancements. The concept of this meeting, therefore, is 'Challenges of current spinal surgery'. New techniques can be created by learning old procedures and analyzing complications of surgery. New philosophies and ideas will follow.

The main themes of this meeting are:

  1. Thoracolumbar spinal surgery in elderly patients
  2. Spinal trauma
  3. Spinal infection including postoperative infection
  4. The challenge and limits of minimally invasive spinal surgery
  5. Surgery for cervical myelopathy.

Thoracolumbar spinal surgery in the elderly is a field that is receiving increasing attention due to the great number of problems in dealing with in an increasing number of cases. Spinal trauma and spinal infection are always issues that must be addressed. Furthermore, although minimally invasive surgery is the present trend, its limits may now have been clarified.

Finally, in surgery for cervical myelopathy, since the posterior decompression method is increasing in popularity, fewer spinal surgeons feel comfortable with performing the anterior procedure, which I am personally worried about. Let's discuss this during the course of the meeting...

Hachinohe City is serene in September, with a pleasant climate. There are beautiful natural attractions, such as Lake Towada, Oirase Stream and a hidden spa on the outskirts of town. Delicious fish and shellfish are abundant in restaurants throughout the city. As there is a holiday following the end of the meeting, I encourage you to explore what Hachinohe City has to offer with your families.

The 19th Annual Meeting of the JPSTSS,
President, Futoshi Suetsuna, MD. PhD.