Participation in the 2025 KSES – SECEC Exchange Travelling Fellowship Program

I am very pleased to use this newsletter as a chance to express my sincere gratitude to every member of the KSES.

I was selected, together with Dr. Mustafa Rashid, for the SECEC Europe to Japan & Korea Traveling Fellowship. For European surgeons, it is an extraordinary honour and a true cultural privilege to spend five weeks in two such remarkable countries as Japan and Korea. We were expecting a fantastic experience, but our expectations were completely surpassed.

After attending the Japan Shoulder Society meeting and spending two weeks travelling across Japan, we landed in Seoul on the 25th of October. The KSES, together with Dr. Jaehoo Lee and the International Committee, prepared an incredible schedule for our two-week stay in Korea.

We spent the first week in Seoul, visiting five surgeons and their respective hospitals: Prof. Woong-Kyo Jung at the Korea University Anam Hospital, Prof. Jae-Cheol Yoo at the Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Prof. Hyun-Seok Song at the Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital, Prof. Tae-Kang Lim at the Eulji Hospital, and Prof. Seok-Won Chung at the Konkuk University Medical Center

After that, we moved to Gwangju to visit Prof. Myung-Sun Kim at the Chonnam National University Hospital.

We then returned to Seoul, where we met other outstanding surgeons and visited several excellent medical centres: Prof. Sang-Jin Shin at the Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital, Prof. Hyun-Chul Cho at the Boramae Medical Center and Prof. Jin-Young Park in his incredible Neon Orthopaedic Clinic.

Finally, we travelled to Busan for the last part of our tour, where we observed Prof. Prof. Young-Min Noh at the Busan Medical Center performing very complex revision arthroplasty. In Busan we attended the KSES Annual Meeting. Here, we had the opportunity to reconnect with many of the surgeons and friends we had met during our trip, and we were honoured to deliver a scientific presentation.

 


What can I say… We already knew a lot about Korean shoulder and elbow surgery from publications and conference presentations. But travelling through the country and witnessing everything in person was truly astonishing. The surgical level, the clinical organization, the hospitals we visited, and the intensity of scientific activity were all absolutely exceptional. I returned home deeply inspired in my work, full of new energy and new ideas. And with innovative techniques that I hope to integrate into my clinical practice. Our experience was not only rich from a scientific and professional point of view, but also deeply meaningful on a human level. I came back home with many new friends, with whom I hope to establish relationships that will transcend these short two weeks and last for many years — meeting again during future congresses of the worldwide shoulder community. And of course, the soju nights strengthened our bonds in spirit. During those five weeks, we often reflected on the true meaning of a travelling fellowship, and we concluded that its main aims should be to share knowledge, broaden one’s perspective, and build meaningful relationships. Our time in Korea completely fulfilled all of these goals.

I extend my deepest gratitude to all who contributed to this exceptional professional and personal experience, which will remain with me throughout my life.

Warm regards,

Riccardo Ranieri
Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery,
IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy