Presidental letter 1 | 2023

Dear Members,

40 years ago, the foundations of shoulder surgery activities in Germany were laid with the "1st Hamburg Shoulder Workshop" in 1983 and the following events. The contributions of these "Shoulder Workshops" of 1983, 1985 and 1986 were included in the German Central Library of Medicine in Cologne.

From the beginning, orthopedic surgeons and trauma surgeons met on an equal footing to jointly advance shoulder and elbow surgery. Until the reunification of the two disciplines, shoulder and elbow surgery was always a preparatory part of the joint subject. The organ, not the etiology, was the focus of interest. And, of course, the best possible care for the patients entrusted to us.
This common interest and the special expertise for our specialty are also now again politically particularly demanded.

Planned changes to the hospital landscape in the Hospital Structural Reform Act deserve our full attention. Here, structural requirements are defined and facilities are classified in order to allow (analogous e.g. to the BG healing procedure) certain services to be provided only to selected maximum care hospitals. This contradicts our understanding of highly specialized medicine.
On the other hand, due to a completely exaggerated outpatient treatment, a necessary inpatient treatment with adequate pain therapy, e.g. in the area of rotator cuff reconstruction, is now also generally prohibited in the area of shoulder and elbow surgery as of April of this year. Here, we as a professional society are jointly challenged to protect our patients and to exert influence.
The personal exchange also in this health-political area is important and necessary in these times. Not only for this reason I cordially invite you to our upcoming annual congress in Hamburg. You can expect a high-level scientific program with international experts.

I look forward to seeing you in Hamburg.



Your

Prof. Dr. med. L. J. Lehmann
Präsident DVSE e.V.

©2024 DVSE | D-A-CH Vereinigung für Schulter- und Ellenbogenchirurgie e.V.