The field of spine surgery has advanced rapidly over the past 2 decades. With new technologies and new procedures, the breadth and scope of the practice of a spine surgeon have become so broad that it can no longer be covered adequately during fellowship training.
Sub-specialization fellowships have and continue to play an important role in ensuring that surgeons obtain the highest quality of training so that they may in turn provide exceptional patient care within a specific area of surgery. After graduating from a fellowship, the expectation is that a surgeon will be competent in performing a variety of elective procedures, as well as to manage a multitude of surgical emergencies and complications. However, fellowships are not uniform.
Many spine surgery fellowships function on a preceptorship basis, where mentors may have a particular interest in fields such as MIS, endoscopic, deformity, trauma, or degenerative disease. This does not necessarily reflect a more general spine practice that fellows may encounter upon entry into independent practice.
Spine Africa Academy offers a state-of-the-art service using nationally- and internationally recognized, system-based approaches to tertiary and complex spine surgery specializing in techniques of Minimally Invasive Surgery and Endoscopic Surgery.
In alignment with the Academy to create a comprehensive multi-disciplinary team focused on quality 21-century surgical techniques, expert education, and innovation, and to provide a Spine Fellowship Program in MIS and Endoscopic techniques to train spinal surgeons in the skills at performing these procedures safely and effectively, and an appreciation of the humanistic and ethical aspects of medicine.
The systems approach to achieving safe outcomes and reducing complications are front and centre of these approaches. The spine fellow will be immersed in these principles throughout the fellowship, leading to a deepened understanding of the broader healthcare context and how lean methodology can be applied in future practice settings.
