Orthopaedic Seminar Institute

Lebanese Orthopaedic Association LOA

Letter from the president

Dear Colleagues:

The 2003 annual meeting of the Lebanese Orthopaedic Association will take place in the Order Of Physicians Center, in Beirut. I wish to welcome you all, on behalf of the Board of the LOA, the Scientific and Organizing Committees.

This year’s meeting is honored to welcome opinion leaders in the fields of Knee, Pediatric, Spine and Upper Extremity surgery. Over twelve instructional course lectures will be given by Jean-Noel Argenson, George Pennecot, Jean-Charles Le Huec and Christophe Oberlin. Thirty free papers from Lebanon and abroad are presented at the meeting. Workshops and business meetings will be held during lunch breaks. The organizers will be happy to inform you in the kind.

Make sure to visit the Exhibit Hall. New technologies and state of the art armamentarium (including Hands On) are presented by experts in the field of orthopaedics.

A Welcome Dinner will take place on Friday 6, at the Phoenicia Hotel, around the pool. The Gala Dinner is at the Bristol Hotel on Saturday 7. It will be a great opportunity for all of us to share cares and joys.

The Board of the Lebanese Orthopaedic Association made the deed to pay tribute to outstanding orthopaedic surgeons with outstanding career. This year tribute will take place on Friday 6 at 17h 20 at the auditorium. Your participation will make this tribute even greater.

As from today, The Lebanese Orthopaedic Association will have its own web site. You will be able to visit us at “www.ortholeb.org” for members address, events, registration, newsletter, case study, various links etc...

Since specialty groups are being created in our association, we would like our members to fill the questionnaire in that respect. Please remember you may become part of more than one group.

I would like to thank the Scientific and the Organizing committees for their dedication in working on a diverse educational program for this meeting.

This meeting would not have been possible without our sponsors’ support. We thank them warmly for their participation in this scientific event.

Infomed did a great job helping us put together this meeting. We thank each member of their team for the relentless efforts they made.

Dear members and friends this association is your flag. Let us experience together the flagship of orthopaedic education.

Raja K. Chaftari
President of the Lebanese Orthopaedic Association

HISTORY

Orthopedic surgery, as a surgical specialty started to be practiced in Lebanon in the mid 50's by a limited group of surgeons.

As their number increased with time and with emphasis on quality and training, a small number of graduates from the American University Of Beirut (AUB) and the French Faculty Of Medicine (FFM, today St Joseph University) who trained in orthopedic surgery in the United States Of America, England and France got together and founded the Lebanese Orthopedic Association, in 1996.

The main goals of the association were:

1) To establish a friendly relationship among its members.
2) To enhance scientific activities and organize local and international meetings.
3) To keep a high level of orthopedic practice by admitting only well trained orthopedic surgeons as members.

The founding members elected their first committee on December 12 1966, for a two year period:

1967-1968
President: Emile Riachi
Vice-President: Walid Mneimneh
Secretary: Fouad Chemali
Treasurer: Ramez Aouad
Members:
Samy Noujaim
Fouad Salame
Rizkallah Haddad

1969-1970

President: Afif Nsouli
Vice-President: Walid Mneimneh
Secretary: Fouad Chemali
Treasurer: Ramez Aouad
Members:
Suhail Boulos
Alfred Chahine
Michel Rizkallah

1971-1972

President: Walid Mneimneh
Vice-President: Fouad Chemali
Secretary: Ramez Aouad
Treasurer: Georges Feghali
Members:
Fouad Salame
Samy Noujaim
Georges Feghali

1973-1974

President: Fouad Chemali
Vice-President: Ramez Aouad
Secretary: Georges Feghali
Treasurer: Khalil Germanos
Members:
Fouad salame
Zohrab Djeredjian
Rizkallah Haddad

1975-1991

President: Ramez Aouad
Vice-President: Rizkallah Haddad
Secretary: Georges Feghali
Treasurer: Andre Phares
Members:
Samy Noujaim
Rafik Taleb
David Hannouche

1992-1997

President: Andre Phares
Vice-President: John Abdelnoor
Secretary: Roger Melki
Treasurer: Khalil Kharrat
Members:
Fawzi Zeidan
Robert Hobeika
Jaafar Bahsoun

1998-1999

President: Nadim Afeich
Past President: Andre Phares
President Elect: Fernand Dagher
Secretary: Roger Jawish
Treasurer: Ali Chamseddine
Members:
Jaafar Bahsoun
Omar Baddoura
Walid Mneimneh

2000-2001

President: Fernand Dagher
Past President: Nadim Afeich
President Elect: Raja Chaftari
Secretary: Gaby Kreichaty
Treasurer: Firas Atallah
Members:
Hamzi Mazloum
Ahmad Chebbo
Georges Dabbagh

2002-2003

President: Raja Chaftari
Past President: Fernand Dagher
President Elect: Assaad Taha
Secretary: Ali Chamseddine
Treasurer: Ismat Ghanem
Members:
Georges Abi-Raad
Ziad Hage
Georges Habre

Ever since, The Lebanese Orthopedic Association has been devoted to fulfill its endeavor by promoting good relationship among its members, enhancing local and international scientific activities and keeping high orthopedic standards.