Newswise — Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) will host surgeons from Greece for an annual symposium dedicated to teaching the latest techniques and innovations in complex hip and knee reconstruction.

The HSS Stavros Niarchos Foundation Orthopaedic Seminar Program consists of two days of case presentations and hands-on workshops at HSS, followed by three days at the HSS Annual Knee & Hip Course, a CME-accredited professional education course.

Moderated by Michael Cross, MD, and Michael Alexiades, MD, both hip and knee surgeons at HSS, this year’s seminar will be held November 29 through December 3, 2016. Geared toward young Greek surgeons with less than 10 years of experience who are currently practicing medicine in Greece, the program will fully immerse the physicians in the HSS environment, allowing them to take part in lectures, research, live surgery observation, etc.

“This program continues to foster awareness and solidify HSS’ reputation around the world that we are dedicated to educating orthopedic surgeons on how to improve treatment and outcomes in joint replacement,” said Dr. Alexiades, hip session moderator. “Participants of this program have and continue to return to Europe to build upon the work they have learned here.”

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation is one of the world’s leading private international philanthropic organizations and has provided grants in the areas of healthcare as well as sports, arts and culture, education and social welfare.

Earlier this year, the Foundation announced a grant of $925,000 over three years to HSS to support professional development programs for Greece’s orthopedic surgeons. The allocation extends a decade-long collaboration between the Foundation and the Hospital, in which more than 75 surgeons from Greece have participated to advance their medical expertise.

“At HSS, we strive to be global leaders in patient care, research and education,” said Dr. Cross, knee session moderator. “The generous gift of the Niarchos Foundation allows us to share our knowledge and clinical experience to make everyone a better surgeon for all of our patients.”

Over 30,700 surgeries are performed at HSS each year, with HSS physicians performing more hip surgeries and knee replacements than any other hospital in the United States. People travel to HSS for medical care from more than 100 countries.

About Hospital for Special SurgeryHospital for Special Surgery (HSS) is the world’s largest academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health. HSS is nationally ranked No. 1 in orthopedics and No. 2 in rheumatology by U.S. News & World Report (2016-2017), and is the first hospital in New York State to receive Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American Nurses Credentialing Center four consecutive times. HSS has one of the lowest infection rates in the country. HSS is an affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College and as such all Hospital for Special Surgery medical staff are faculty of Weill Cornell. The hospital's research division is internationally recognized as a leader in the investigation of musculoskeletal and autoimmune diseases. Hospital for Special Surgery is located in New York City and online at www.hss.edu.