AO CMF Community Development Commission

Ana Catalina Tobón Trujillo, MD

Head Coordinator Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Service, Panamerican Clinic, Apartadó, Antioquia, Colombia

“I see the AO CMFCDC as a key driver for other AO global commissions—the AO Education Commission, the AO Research and Development Commission, and the AO Technical Commission—and I want to connect these commissions, create networking, dialogue, and collaboration that will ultimate serve not just our surgeons and members, but the AO itself.

We stand on the shoulders of giants: The AO founders were the first real and important surgeons who left us a great legacy in education, research, and innovation all under one umbrella. No other organization can match this legacy.

The unique ‘AO family’ represents opportunities for lifelong professional development—for our members to grow as surgeons, educators, researchers, and innovators—as well as lifelong friendships. This is what I want the world to know about AO CMF and the AO.”

Read the full chairperson interview here.

Ferdinand G Pamintuan, MD, FPSO-HNS

Chairman, The Medical City Clark Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Pampanga, Philippines

“The AO ‘s mission of improving patient care elevates the quality of our patient treatment and outcome. Our patients will be able to be productive in the shortest time and able to function as normally as possible.

My vision is to continue bringing more educational activities to all AO CMF regions through our global AO CMF Study Clubs. This pioneering AO CMF Community Development Commission activity met the educational needs of the residents to consultants through the pandemic with great results.

My priorities are to reach out to more countries, introduce them to AO CMF, and incorporate these countries into the the global AO CMF community, and introduce the best quality education to help them treat craniomaxillofacial patients.

In my more than two decades of association with AO CMF and the AO, I’ve experienced that there are no boundaries. All specialties work harmoniuosly together and support one another. Being part of AO CMF is benefical during training as well as in practice. The future looks good when you’re part of AO CMF.”

Prof Florian M Thieringer, MD, DDS, MHBA

Chair of oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS), University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland

“My specialty, advanced OMFS, particularly in the domain of innovative technologies like computer-assisted surgery and medical additive manufacturing, aligns with the AO's mission of improving patient care at the forefront of craniomaxillofacial surgery. Through the use of virtual surgical planning, 3D printing, and additive manufacturing of patient-specific implants, we can offer tailored treatments to patients, ensuring better surgical outcomes and reduced recovery time.

We are continuously innovating and developing new technologies that can be applied in the surgical field, further elevating the standard of patient care.

My vision as an AO CMFCDC member is to bridge the gap between education, technology, and surgery, making cutting-edge innovations accessible to all craniomaxillofacial surgeons.

My top priorities include fostering an international, diverse, and a collaborative environment for excellence in facial surgery, research, and innovation, promoting the application of modern techniques and technologies in CMF surgeries, and ensuring the continuous education and training of surgeons in the latest surgical and technological advancements.

Every CMF surgeon should know that AO CMF is more than just a community; it's a global family of surgical experts with one mission: a platform for surgical innovation, collaboration, and growth.

My experiences with AO CMF have shown me the importance of continuous learning and adapting to the evolving landscape of surgery in an interdisciplinary context. The organization provides unparalleled support, resources, and opportunities for surgeons to excel in their respective fields, always aiming to improve patient outcomes.”

Rafael Cypriano, DDS

Head of the Vitória Apart Hospital Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS), Vitória, Brazil

“The face represents our identity and our individuality. The outcomes of our work must fulfill requirements other than just function. The aesthetic part of our job is extremely important, and we must be aware of these challenges in every case we treat.

The priority of the AO CMFCDC is our community, our members. It's very important that we work together with other commissions and deliver new projects to our members.

myAO is an important tool to connect our members and we are working on improving participation in the app. Additionally, the fellowship program is now the responsibility of our commission and that's a huge responsibility from our side, since this is a very popular AO program, especially for young surgeons. Another important part of our job is inclusion, diversity, and mentorship, and we are working with AO Access to improve our offer dedicated to the AO CMF Women Surgeon Group and beyond.

AO CMF gives us the opportunity to learn and improve our skills—and not only surgical skills. Networking is the key to success and the AO gives us an opportunity to know and connect with surgeons from all parts of the world. That's amazing. Every surgeon should know that.”

Mohamed Hazem Abdelazeem, MSc., M.D., MRCS(Eng), FRCS(Glasg)

Professor of Plastic and Cranio-maxillofacial surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo university, Egypt. Private practice at my clinics in central Cairo and New Giza area.

"As a plastic & CMF surgeon, I do all plastic surgery procedures and operations with sub specialization in CMF surgery with special interest in minimally invasive and endoscopic assisted CMF surgeries."

At the AO CMF CDC:

• Vision and mission: "Now a days with the great changes in technology, communication, artificial intelligence and digitalization the needs for surgeons in there different stages in their carrier has changed, Especially for the young generation. Our role as CDC, is understanding and responding with new innovated tools to fill their needs and motivate them to learn and improve their skills both professionally and personally. “The AO spirit is a drive to excel in your carrier and enjoy your life“"

• Priorities and goals: "Increase the reach of the voice of AO CMF. Motivate more surgeons to be AO CMF by becoming active member. Maintain and augment the reputation of AO CMF. Implement the equality, diversity and  inclusion for opportunities offered by AO CMF. Expanding the AO CMF network of surgeons by improving the awareness of the AO CMF members benefits and value. Working on collaboration with other global and regional societies to spread the word of AO CMF."