ASM Convenor’s Report 2025
Australian Hand Surgery Society Annual Scientific Meeting
Perth, 30 April – 3 May 2025
It was a pleasure to welcome our colleagues to Perth for what proved to be a collegial, inspiring, and intellectually rich Annual Scientific Meeting. Hosted at the contemporary Westin Hotel, the 2025 ASM brought together leading voices in hand surgery from across Australia and beyond.
As convenors, we always begin with a degree of apprehension—wondering how the program will shape up. Yet, with the strength and thoughtfulness of the abstract submissions from our members, their collaborators transformed this concern into pride. A broad range of innovative topics was presented, with major themes including wrist ligamentous reconstruction and TFCC repair, first CMC joint arthropathy, intramedullary fixation of metacarpal and phalangeal fractures, nerve surgery, and paediatric hand surgery.
We were honoured to host Professor Andrea Atzei from Italy as our invited international speaker. A world-renowned educator and wrist surgeon, Andrea delivered a series of outstanding lectures characterised by clarity, innovation, and technical depth. His Bernie O’Brien Oration, “The Art of the TFCC: Decoding Damage, Repairing Function,” was a highlight—received with enthusiasm and deep appreciation by our members.
A special thank you goes to Mark Baker, whose ongoing efforts with Medicare advocacy continue to be of immense value to our Society. His well-received symposium on MBS item numbers was both informative and practical. Mark’s dedication to improving patient access and supporting the hand surgery community was warmly acknowledged.
Graham Gumley introduced his Oral History Project, an important initiative to preserve the stories and insights of our field’s pioneers. This year’s session featured heartfelt and inspiring reflections from former AHSS Presidents Tony Berger and Peter Hales, offering both historical perspective and mentorship.
Ahead of the main conference, the Registrar Course—held on 29–30 April—was expertly organised by Helena Van Dam and Alex O’Bierne. The course provided a comprehensive overview of hand surgery principles, along with deeper dives into more complex topics. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive. However, it became clear that the travel burden for interstate registrars for a meeting of limited duration was a barrier to attendance. To address this, the AHSS Board has decided that future registrar course attendees will also be granted access to the main ASM program, ensuring their journey is well worthwhile.
The Awards Committee, chaired by Greg Couzens with Alexa Potter and Andrea Atzei, recognised outstanding contributions to the scientific program.
- The Bernie O’Brien Oration was awarded to our distinguished international guest, Dr Andrea Atzei, for his remarkable series of five presentations. His contributions on wrist pathologies, clinical assessment, and advanced surgical techniques were intellectually stimulating and profoundly informative, enriching the scientific discourse of the meeting.
- The Bruce Conolly Award for Best Overall Paper was awarded to Brahman Sivakumar for his presentation entitled “An Update on Phalangeal Fracture Management.” Brahman’s PhD-level research and exemplary clarity of presentation brought renewed focus to this important topic, combining academic rigour with clinical relevance.
- The John Hueston Award for Dupuytren’s Disease was presented to Richard Lawson for his engaging and original talk, “Everything You Wanted to Know About Dupuytren’s but Were Too Afraid to Ask (Except Surgery).” His thought-provoking and comprehensive overview of non-surgical management captivated the audience and provoked lively discussion.
- The Tim Herbert Award for Innovation in Hand Surgery was awarded to Dr Kemble Wang for his pioneering work, “Ulna Z-lengthening Osteotomy for Severe Ulnar Negative Variance in Paediatric Forearm Deformities.” Dr Wang’s innovative approach exemplifies the spirit of forward-thinking surgical advancement in addressing complex paediatric pathology
A lighter moment came on Friday afternoon with the AHSS Sailing Regatta, featuring three spirited neck-and-neck races. Thanks to excellent teamwork, skilful captains, and the agile helming of Andrea Atzei, no one went overboard—and everyone had a fantastic time.
The smooth delivery of this ASM was made possible by the superb efforts of Wayne Taylor and Stephanie Higgins, whose event expertise and attention to detail are nothing short of magical. From the seamless logistics to the surprise appearance of an opera singer performing in the hall under the suspended blue whale skeleton at the gala dinner, they continued to amaze us with creative and memorable touches.
My heartfelt thanks to Sharon Chu, my co-convenor, whose organisation, insight, and energy were indispensable throughout the planning and delivery of the meeting. Deep thanks also to Tracey for her tireless dedication and professionalism, and to Professor Mark Ross, our Society President, for his exemplary leadership in making the ASM a resounding success.
It was a real pleasure to catch up with so many of you in Perth. We look forward to seeing you at the next ASM in Melbourne.
Sharon Chu and Paul Jarrett
Convenors, ASM 2025
