Accreditation
Accreditation: Georgetown
University Hospital is accredited by the Accreditation Council
for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical
education for physicians.
Georgetown University Hospital designates
this educational activity for a maximum of 18
AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim
credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the
activity.
Disclosure of Financial Relationships
with Any Commercial Interest: As a sponsor accredited
by the ACCME, it is the policy of Georgetown University Hospital
to require that everyone who is in the position to control the
content of an educational activity disclose all relevant financial
relationships with any commercial interest prior to the educational
activity.
The ACCME considers relationship of the person
involved in the CME activity to include financial relationship
of a spouse or partner.
Faculty and planners who refuse to disclose
relevant financial relationships will be disqualified from participating
in the CME activity. For an individual with no relevant financial
relationship(s), the participant must be informed that no conflicts
of interest or financial relationship(s) exist.
Georgetown University
Hospital Department of Nursing Education is an approved provider of continuing
nursing education by the Maryland Nurses Association, an accredited
provider by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission
on accreditation.
Conference Learning Objectives: Following this activity, participants
should be able to:
• Understand the general principles of abdominal wall reconstruction
• Recognize and understand the indications, techniques and error
prevention in abdominal wall hernia repair • Recognize the advantages
and disadvantages of biomaterials vs. inert synthetic materials
for abdominal wall reconstruction • Recognize the development of
soft tissue infections of the abdominal wall as the cause of abdominal
wall defects and as a complication of abdominal wall reconstruction
• Understand the principles of closure of complex abdominal wall
defects
Course Description/Needs
Assessment: Abdominal
wall defects, whether congenital or acquired, traumatic or iatrogenic,
are one of the most common surgical challenges in the world. Very
little consensus currently exists on the appropriate roles and
indications for primary closure vs. mesh closure vs. muscle/fascia
release and advancement techniques and subsequent outcomes. The
recurrence rates for abdominal wall defect repairs remain high,
and potential complications can be catastrophic, leading to far
more complex defects than on original presentation. This meeting
will be the most comprehensive course on abdominal wall reconstruction
to date covering all aspects of the general principles of abdominal
wall reconstruction, including anatomy, physiology, innervation
of the abdominal wall, risk stratification, and recognizing early
risk for failure. All options for abdominal wall reconstruction
will be discussed in detail including primary vs. open repair,
with and without inert vs. synthetic biomaterials, component separation,
role of abdominoplasty, and associated indications, contraindications
and complications of each. The rapidly expanding industry of the
development of synthetic biomaterials with potential for revascularization
will be discussed in detail with each currently available biomaterial
weighed against its pros and cons and potential role in abdominal
wall reconstruction. Soft tissue infections on the abdominal wall
as a risk for abdominal wall defect and as a potential complication
of abdominal wall reconstruction will be reviewed in detail including
both surgical and medical management. Lastly, all aspects of complex
abdominal wall defects, including congenital neonatal defects,
traumatic abdominal wall defects, and the management of entercutaneous
fistulas with wound management will be discussed in detail. This
comprehensive two and a half day course will cover all aspects
of abdominal wall reconstruction for general, plastic, trauma,
and pediatric surgeons with an added interest for wound care specialists
and enteral stoma nurses.
Acknowledgment: This continuing medical education activity is
supported by unrestricted educational grants from contributing
organizations, each of which will be identified in course materials
at the conference.