From February to June 2025, CAMSUP had the pleasure of welcoming Dr Jackie Tran, an Australian surgeon from Melbourne, Victoria, for a fellowship dedicated to upper limb surgery, with a particular focus on hand and wrist surgery.
Bringing Australian expertise to the French Alps
With a background in hand and plastic surgery, Dr Jackie Tran joined our team with solid surgical experience and a particular interest in hand trauma and reconstructive procedures.
Throughout her fellowship, Jackie quickly became a valued member of the team. Quiet, thoughtful and technically skilled, she contributed actively to our daily surgical practice, particularly in the management of emergency hand injuries.
Her presence was a genuine opportunity for mutual learning, bringing together different surgical backgrounds, techniques and approaches to patient care.
Exploring advanced techniques in hand and wrist surgery
During her stay at CAMSUP, Jackie had the opportunity to deepen her experience in several areas of hand and wrist surgery, including:
- Thumb carpometacarpal joint replacement: trapeziometacarpal arthroplasty for thumb base osteoarthritis (rhizarthrosis), an important part of our practice in joint-preserving and reconstructive hand surgery.
- Wrist arthroscopy and ligament repair: minimally invasive techniques for the diagnosis and treatment of wrist ligament injuries, including arthroscopic ligament repair in selected cases.
- Partial and total wrist arthroplasty: exploring surgical options for advanced wrist arthritis and complex degenerative conditions.
- Carpal tunnel surgery: comparing different surgical approaches, from conventional open and endoscopic release to newer ultrasound-guided techniques.
These exchanges highlighted the diversity of modern hand and wrist surgery, combining established techniques with newer approaches tailored to each patient’s condition.
Continuing an international research project on carpal tunnel surgery
Beyond clinical practice, Jackie also contributed to an ongoing research project initiated by our previous Australian fellow,
Dr Benjamin Treffene.
The project examines different techniques for carpal tunnel release, including conventional open surgery, endoscopic release and ultrasound-guided procedures using a cutting instrument or thread.
The objective is to investigate how these different approaches may influence
early postoperative recovery, particularly in the first weeks following surgery.
Jackie helped advance this work during her fellowship, with support from
Dr Thibault Druel, who had recently joined the CAMSUP surgical team.
The project is scheduled to be presented at a French national scientific meeting in December 2026.
This continuity between successive fellows reflects one of the strengths of our fellowship programme: each visiting surgeon contributes not only to daily clinical activity but also to longer-term academic projects.
Learning, sharing and enjoying life in the Alps
At CAMSUP, we believe that international fellowships are about more than observing surgical techniques.
They are an opportunity to exchange ideas, challenge established practices, build professional relationships and develop collaborative research.
And of course, being based in the French Alps also means enjoying everything the region has to offer — from cycling in the mountains to skiing in some of Europe’s most beautiful resorts.
With the growing involvement of Dr Thibault Druel in our academic activities, future fellows can expect plenty of opportunities for both outdoor adventures and scientific publications!
Thank you, Jackie!
We would like to warmly thank Dr Jackie Tran for her contribution to our team, her surgical skills, her curiosity and her involvement in our research projects.
It was a pleasure to welcome her to CAMSUP, and we look forward to following the next steps in her surgical career.
International fellowships are an essential part of our commitment to sharing knowledge and continuously improving our practice in hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder surgery.
