Wagih El Masri

Biography:

WEM trained in the speciality of spinal injuries at Stoke Mandeville, Oxford, Guys Hospitals & the USA between 1971 and 1983 . To date he personally treated 10,000 patients with traumatic Spinal Injuries. WEM developed, and led the Midland Centre for Spinal Injuries (MCSI) between 1983 & 2014. He took  responsibility for the management of the injured spine, the multisystem malfunction as well as the range of non-medical and physical effects of cord injury in the acute, subacute, rehabilitation phases as well as in the long term. WEM lectured worldwide in developed and developing countries. He contributed to the  literature with over 140 publications. He published his observations on the prognostic indicators of neurological recovery following Traumatic Spinal Cord Injuries and Introduced the concept of “Physiological Instability of the Injured Spinal Cord ” and its influence on clinical management. WEM demonstrated that with simultaneous Active Physiological Conservative Management of all the physiologically impaired and malfunctioning systems of the body together with the injured spine neurological recovery occurs in the majority of patients irrespective of the degree of Biomechanical Instability, Canal encroachment or Cord Compression. He is Peer reviewer and on the Editorial Boards of a number of Journals. WEM held the offices of: President of the International Spinal Cord Society, Chairman of the British Association of Spinal Cord Injury Specialists and Executive Member of the BSRM. Founder Member and trustee of a number of charities that support Health Care professionals and patients. Raised about six million pounds from charity to rebuild and furnish the MCSI. Advisor to WHO‘s International Perspectives on Spinal Cord Injury which was published in 2013. Member of the NICE Guideline Developing Group in spinal injuries. He received a number of awards including: the Medal of the International Spinal Cord Society, National Hospital Doctor Team Award for Innovation, Outstanding achievement award from the Chinese Society of Spinal Injuries, Outstanding Consultant Achievement award by the Spinal Injury Association, Hon. Presidency of the Romanian Spinal Cord Society, the Paul Harris Fellowship of the Rotary Club. WEM‘s concepts and support for evidence based clinical management including the right of the patient to make a fully informed choice between the various methods of management including the injured spine; the importance of management in a spinal injury centre with a fit for purpose infrastructure that enables all medical and non-medical needs of the patient to be met can be  accessed free of charge in the following publication in the journal.