Surgeons Convene El Paso
Texas Surgical Society to Meet in El Paso in April
More than 100 surgeons will gather for a weekend of educational sessions and social events
The Texas Surgical Society, one of Texas’ oldest professional medical organizations, will convene in El Paso from Friday, April 10, through Sunday, April 12, for the society’s 216th semiannual meeting.
Alan H. Tyroch, M.D., FACS, FCCM, professor and founding chair of surgery at Texas Tech Health El Paso’s Foster School of Medicine, is serving as the local arrangements chairman for the gathering, formally known as a scientific session. Held at the historic Hotel Paso Del Norte in Downtown El Paso, the event will feature educational presentations, guest speakers, welcoming of new members, awards presentations, and off-site social events for attendees.
Dr. Tyroch said he expects 100 surgeons and their guests to attend.
Founded in 1915, the Texas Surgical Society is the state’s oldest surgical society. In its 111-year history, the society has convened in El Paso only four times, most recently in 2014.
Dr. Tyroch, who also serves as University Medical Center of El Paso’s chief of surgery and trauma, is leading local efforts for the meeting. He and his colleagues from the school of medicine’s Department of Surgery and other local surgeons who are members of the society look forward to welcoming surgeons from across the state to El Paso.
“This is a meaningful opportunity to showcase El Paso and the strength of our surgical community,” said Dr. Tyroch. “We’re proud to highlight the collaboration between academic medicine and private practice in our region.”
The Texas Surgical Society also has a unique historical connection to our region. For its 50th anniversary, the organization commissioned renowned El Paso artist Tom Lea to create a painting depicting what many consider the first documented surgery in North America, which occurred in 1535 in far West Texas or Northern Mexico.
In the now-iconic painting, Spanish explorer Cabeza de Vaca used a knife to remove an arrowhead from a Native American’s chest, in an operation scholars later described as a “sagittectomy,” based on the Latin word for arrowhead. While Lea’s original work resides at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, a replica is housed on the Texas Tech Health El Paso campus, donated by Ronald Gum, M.D.
Surgeons from all specialties interested in attending the Texas Surgical Society meeting in El Paso may contact Dr. Alan Tyroch at Alan.Tyroch@ttuhsc.edu for more information.
About Texas Tech Health El Paso
Texas Tech Health El Paso serves 108 counties in West Texas and is dedicated to preparing the next generation of health care heroes. Established as an independent university in 2013, Texas Tech Health El Paso is a uniquely innovative destination for medical, nursing, biomedical sciences and dental education.
Focusing on excellence in health care education, research, and clinical service, Texas Tech Health El Paso has graduated more than 2,600 professionals over the past decade. For more information, visit ttuhscepimpact.org.