East Montgomery Times

Thousands of patients with severe limb injuries will gain access to advanced surgical techniques with the establishment of the Wyss Orthoplastic Global Education and Innovation Hub at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine. This new hub is funded by a $4.9 million donation from the Wyss Medical Foundation.

The hub aims to improve outcomes for patients through research and training in the emerging field of orthoplastic surgery, which integrates plastic and orthopedic surgery. It will create fellowships, fund research, and host a conference dedicated to advancing this field.

"Orthoplastic surgery transforms how we treat and reconstruct severe limb injuries, and the creation of this new hub will allow for us to spread knowledge and training that could help tens of thousands of people,” said L. Scott Levin, MD, chair emeritus of Orthopaedic Surgery and Paul B. Magnuson Professor of Bone and Joint Surgery at Penn Medicine.

Dr. Levin, a pioneer in orthoplastic surgery, has significantly contributed to the development of limb salvage techniques which are designed to treat severely injured arms and legs, minimize the need for amputations, enhance treatment and recovery, and restore function where possible.

The hub will offer several initiatives: fellowships to train the next generation of surgeons, a global conference to foster collaboration among international surgeons, research funding to explore novel techniques, and an annual course focused on microvascular surgery for limb function restoration.

“Having a greater opportunity to pass on knowledge and increase the chance that a patient who needs orthoplastic services will come across a trained surgeon is fantastic,” Levin said. “What is now possible with this hub in place is thrilling.”

This donation, scheduled over five years, marks a total contribution of over $11 million from the Wyss Medical Foundation to Penn's Orthopaedic Surgery program. The foundation was established by Swiss businessman Hansjörg Wyss.

Contact:

Frank Otto

267-693-2999

Francis.Otto@pennmedicine.upenn.edu