Bend it like Beckham

AC Milan striker David Beckham brought Finland to the world’s headlines when he underwent surgery in the City of Turku in March. The 34-year-old football star injured his heel in a match against Chievo, causing quite a stir in the media. The surgery was performed by Dr. Sakari Orava, an orthopaedist specialised in treating injuries to the Achilles tendon and who has treated many top athletes.

Although Beckham was without doubt the flame that attracted all the media publicity, Finnish expertise in treating sports-related injuries also enjoys a fine global reputation. Previous patients that have travelled to Finland for treatment include Ukrainian pole-vaulter Sergei Bubka and Ethiopian runner Haile Gebrselassie. Dr. Orava has also served as chief physician for the Finnish Olympic team. Even though The Sun described Finland as lying between southern Sweden and Denmark, there is no doubt that the media frenzy put Finland symbolically on the map.

Finland a leader in specific areas

“Publicity is always useful. In addition to sports surgery, however, we can be proud of our other surgical expertise as well,” says Dr Kimmo Vihtonen, head of the Section of Orthopaedics within the Department of Surgery at Tampere University Hospital. Dr Vihtonen has chaired the Finnish Orthopaedic Association and participated in numerous orthopaedic seminars around the world.

“We are the among the leading experts in replant surgery in the Nordic region, and we also have a very good hospital for joint replacement,” Dr. Vihtonen adds. For patients joint replacement surgery is one of the most demanding operations, yet for society it is also one of the most cost-effective medical treatments. Dr. Vihtonen  feels that it is important to further develop these specialised areas of surgical expertise in which Finland is a leader, as the resources of such a small country are insufficient to attempt to become the global leader in all fields.

In summer 2013 International Surgical Week (ISW) will attract surgeons from around the world to Finland. Previous hosts of this major event, which attracts over 2000 delegates, include Hong Kong, Durban and Montreal. Ari Leppäniemi is currently the national delegate for Finland within the  ISS/SIC (International Society of Surgery – Societe Internationale de Chirurgie).

“World congresses are very welcome to Finland. I believe that on the whole these congresses will become more focused on specialised areas in the future,” Vihtonen points out. This is due in part to the nature of the work performed by surgeons. According to Vihtonen, the field of surgery on the whole covers a vast amount of information, so in practical work it is necessary for surgeons to specialise in a single field, especially if they want to reach the top.