Why did you decide to become a spine surgeon?

 

To successfully impact your field, you have to like and love your job. From the beginning of my career, I have had great motivation be be a spine surgeon. When I started my residency in orthopedics, I concentrated in spine by attending local and international events and observed a spine surgery.

 

Where were you trained?

 

I got my training from my mentors: locally, Dr Dawood Al-Obidi, an orthopedic spine surgeon, who has had a great impact on my carrier, and Dr Hayder Qatran, a neurosurgeon. And, in 2014, I finished my fellowship in Frankfurt BGU with Prof Frank Kandziora. Additionally, I have had many fellowships and clinical attachments, including the Seattle Science Foundation with Prof Jens Chapman in the US, a Catholic University fellowship in Seoul, South Korea with Prof Jim Luke Kim, as well as fellowships and clinical attachments in Turkey, France and Austria.

 

Who has inspired you?

 

Actually, I have met many people who have greatly impacted and inspired me like Dr Dawood Al-Obidi, an orthopedic spine surgeon in Baghdad, Iraq; Jens Chapman of the Seattle Science Foundation; Jim Luke Kim at Catholic University in Seoul; Dr Jeffrey Wang, co-director of the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine Spine Center in the US; Dr Alexander Vaccaro, president of the Rothman Orthopedic Institute in Pennsylvania (US), and Dr S Rajasakaran of Ganga Medical Centre & Hospitals in Coimbatore (India).

 

Can you tell a bit in general about spine surgery in your country?

 

I live in Iraq, where spine surgery in not well developed. As we have faced lots of political problems and wars, we have lots of “We have lots of trauma cases with spinal cord injuries, degenerative disorders and tumors, with no insurance companies that can manage the health care—only the government which supports the government hospitals, which concentrate on basic, essential instruments with trauma and life support.”trauma cases with spinal cord injuries, degenerative disorders and tumors, with no insurance companies that can manage the health care—only the government which supports the government hospitals, which concentrate on basic, essential instruments with trauma and life support. In private hospitals, the patient has to pay for the full package of the surgery fees, which is too costly. We try to improve spine surgery by attending courses abroad, bringing the possible latest technology and applying it in my country, and by doing some research activities.

 

What do you consider the biggest challenges for spine surgeons in your country?

 

We have lots of obstacles in our work in my country.These include lack of insurance companies to help in the health care system and lack of infrastructure like upgraded hospitals and centers, as well as a lack of research centers and database systems for research activities.

 

What does being a member of AOSpine mean to you, and how has AOSpine influenced your career?

 

AOSpine is a global organization that has had a great impact in my country with lots of courses, symposia and seminars since 2012 when the local AOSpine council started in Iraq. AOSpine has provided many opportunities for fellowships, as well as participation in the annual Global Spine Congress (GSC).

 

 

 

 

​

Biography

 

Ghazwan Abdulla Hasan

Orthopedic spine surgeon

AlAlamy Hospital of Specialized Surgery

Baghdad, Iraq