Foot and ankle surgery, a newly developing sub-speciality in orthopedics, is the focus in a two-day symposium and workshop which began at the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital here on Saturday.

The program, taking place under the aegis of Indian Foot and Ankle Society and Odisha Orthopedic Association, includes live surgeries and hands-on workshop for the attending delegates.

Eminent faculties including Dr. Rajesh Simon, President of Indian Foot and Ankle Society, Dr. Kamal Dureja from Max Super Speciality Hospital, New Delhi and Dr. S.M.Ajay from M.S.Ramaiah Memorial Hospital, Bengaluru are the resource persons at the workshop.

“Foot was a neglected part of orthopedics because we had not understood it properly, but with the advent of modern technology and availability of CT Scan and MRI, we understand it better today,” Dr. Simon said while speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the event.

“It is time that we have to open our mind and unlearn what we had learnt wrongly,” he said.

SOA Vice-Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Ashok Kumar Mahapatra, Dean of IMS and SUM Hospital Prof. Sanghamitra Mishra, Medical Superintendent Prof. Pusparaj Samantasinhar, President of the Odisha Orthopedic Association Dr. R.K. Mohapatra and Secretary of the Odisha Orthopedic Association Dr. Basanta Behera also addressed the inaugural session.

Prof. (Dr.) Aniruddha Das, Head of the department of Orthopedics at IMS and SUM Hospital, welcomed the delegates.