Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (RS/CN) 

Mangalore, Feb 4: The 33rd annual conference of the Karnataka Orthopaedic Association, ‘KOACON- 2009’ will held from Friday February 6 to Sunday February 8 at T M A Pai International Convention Centre in the city.

Dr P Umananda Mallya, president the association and organizing chairman of the conference, announced this at a press meet held at IMA House on Tuesday February 3. 

KOACON-2009 is expected to attract around 700 delegates from all over Karnataka and neighbouring states. This conference has been organized by the department of orthopaedics of Kasturba Medical College (KMC) in association with Canara Orthopaedic Society. 

On  Friday CME and workshop  will be  conducted  for orthopaedic surgeons  to  refresh  their  knowledge, said Dr Mallya explaining that the CME  will be on  reconstructive surgeries in orthopaedics with special focus on patients suffering from leprosy.

It also aims at helping young surgeons deal with disabled limbs on patients. In addition to the relevant lectures, the highlight of the CME will be live demonstrations of surgeries by senior faculty drawn from an international level. 

Workshops will have three sessions including ‘Rail Fixators’, ‘AO’ and Vertebroplasty’. On Saturday February 7  and Sunday February 8 the scientific sessions and  guest lectures with about 180 scientific papers and posters will be  presented by more than 50 national and international faculty, said Dr Mallya. 

Dr M Shantharam  Shetty,  president, Indian Orthopaedic Association, will inaugurate the  conference. J P Nayak, member, board and president operations, Larsen and Toubro, will be the chief guest and Dr H S Ballal, pro-chancellor of Manipal University will be the guest of honour. 

Organizing secretaries Dr Surendra U Kamath, Dr H R Rai,  Dr Jagannath Kamath, and Dr Ganashyam Kamath, treasurer, were  present  at  the  press meet.