Despite COVID-19, ESPINEA® (Endoscopic Spine Academy) training programs, which are held in cooperation with the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh (RCSEd) and joimax®, were conducted all over the world in 2020, and continue to roll out in 2021. Due to travel restrictions, the programs were adapted to webinars, and remote support and training, totaling 60 sessions last year. By pivoting to online learning, approximately 3000 surgeons were reached in 2020, and 700 surgeons so far in 2021.

ESPINEA® was founded by joimax® CEO and Founder Wolfgang Ries in 2019, and was accredited by the RCSEd last year.

“Our goal is to be globally present online, as well as to provide direct local support,” says Ries. “Regardless of lockdowns in many countries, under the ESPINEA® platform, more than 120 surgeons were trained in onsite workshops this quarter, with 70 in the USA and Mexico, 35 in Europe, 15 in Asia, and many more through the joimax® CME-program partnership in China.”

ESPINEA® Board Member Alastair Gibson, FRCSEd states: “These efforts demonstrate that joimax® and ESPINEA® can achieve anything together. I’m proud to be part of this impressive blend of online, on-site, and remote events, enabling a strong ESPINEA® community.”

To support the roll out, additional Coronavirus-compliant labs were integrated into the local, onsite education programs. In addition to the company’s existing labs in Karlsruhe and Irvine, California, more labs throughout the USA, including Houston, Minneapolis, New York City, Dallas, and Indianapolis, as well as the Surgical Skills Lab in Mexico City and ORSI Academy in Melle, Belgium, have been added. Also, joimax® opened a branch office in Singapore; the Hong Kong office opened in spring 2019.

“It’s becoming increasingly important to have a personal, on-site presence in order to teach globally-valid learning content,” adds Ries.

About joimax^®

Founded in Karlsruhe, Germany in 2001, joimax^® is the leading developer and marketer of complete systems for full-endoscopic and minimally invasive spinal surgery. With the Endoscopic Surgical Systems TESSYS^® (transforaminal), iLESSYS^® (interlaminar) and CESSYS^® (cervical) for decompression procedures, MultiZYTE^® for facet and sacroiliac joint pain treatment, EndoLIF^® and Percusys^® for minimally-invasive endoscopically assisted stabilizations, established systems are provided, addressing a whole range of indications. In procedures for herniated disc, stenosis, pain therapy or spinal stabilization treatment, surgeons utilize joimax^® technologies to operate through small incisions under local or full anesthesia, via tissue and muscle-sparing corridors and through natural openings in the spinal canal, e.g. the intervertebral foramen, the so-called “Kambin triangle”.