Logo (AI generated): ![[Pasted image 20250112183049.png | 130]] # A Digital Home for Surgical Knowledge I grew up watching people dodge motorcycles like human bowling pins on Vietnam's chaotic streets. When Uncle Hai died from _chấn thương sọ não_ (traumatic brain injury), whispers of pity spread through my neighborhood. Deaths from traumatic brain injury were one of the most common tragedies in my province.Outside of Saigon's urban center, even basic procedures like decompressive craniectomies were out of reach for most. That reality still haunts me, especially as I watch medicine race forward while leaving so many behind. > This is why I'm building this site. Because every person – whether they're a kid in rural Vietnam or a tech worker in Silicon Valley – deserves access to world-class surgical care. My parents, who had to drop out of school early, implanted deep in my brain a crucial lesson: learn the best from everyone you meet. That philosophy shaped me as an engineer, medical student, and now an aspiring neurosurgeon. As Dr. Baskaya once said, to be the best, we have to learn from many places. In today's digital age, "many places" can mean everywhere, and we can create a digital space that brings together all corners of the globe. ## What I'm Building Here Think of the 'Surgical Synapse' as a living library where surgical knowledge can grow wild and free. While the organization and structure may evolve, you can already explore areas like [[!! The Atlas of Neurological Surgery !!!]] and [[!! The Atlas of Plastic Surgery !!!]]. Our foundation is built on: - Following FOSS (free and open-source software) principles – knowledge that's democratically aggregated, debated, and modified - Breaking down walls between specialties, allowing trainees to take the best from others - Fostering evidence and basic science-based discourse, helping the overturn of ungrounded traditions - Creating content that can be transformed and reused, from AI training (e.g. [custom GPTs training](https://mitsloanedtech.mit.edu/ai/tools/writing/custom-gpts-at-mit-sloan-a-comprehensive-guide/)) to partnering with [3D anatomical atlases](https://www.visiblebody.com/) - Moving beyond linear notes to information organized in natural networks of association, helping to spark new thinking > Here, I hope to help us innovate faster, to really understand why we practice a certain technique so that we can generalize knowledge and extrapolate to new approaches. Through this site, I aim to create spaces for mentorship and knowledge exchange between experienced surgeons and trainees: - Procedure instructions, surgical videos, and case discussions - Annotated with real-time surgeon insights - Connected to relevant research and outcomes data - Tagged with difficulty levels and critical decision points - A platform for surgical innovation where: - New techniques can be proposed and peer-reviewed - Modifications can be tracked and evaluated - Outcomes can be shared and analyzed\ ## How We'll Grow I started building this site during 2-week plastic surgery rotation, as a proof of concept and feasibility. This work leverages my experience building websites for San Quentin prison and creating study materials for UW School of Medicine. Right now, it's my personal knowledge base, but I dream bigger: - I will recruit passionate teachers from every surgical field sharing their wisdom here - We'll build tools to make web edits as easy as editing as radiopedia.org - Progress will accelerate as we shift focus from backend development to medical content Next steps: - Build on the knowledge base during my neurosurgical training. I've observed most resident doing this already. The infrastructure I built here will help automate the publication of those notes. - Discuss with Dr. Baskaya's lab on sharing his his annotated video here. - Far [[future aspirations]] > Building bridges between academic centers and community practices—Everything stays free and open, forever! ## Keeping the Lights On Currently, this dream costs $7/month for hosting. As we grow, we might need to: - Welcome thoughtful advertising - Partner with surgical societies - Pursue relevant grants - Compile and sell specialized atlases through established publishers like Thieme > Remember Emerson's words? **"I will stand here for humanity, and though I would make it kind, I would make it true."** That's exactly what we're doing here – building something kind, true, and available to anyone who needs it. With high hopes and sincerity, [Cuong P. Luu](https://cpluu.netlify.app/) *fiat lux*