Next May 26^th, IRCAD (The Research Institute against Cancer of the Digestive Tract) will inaugurate the ASIA IRCAD – Taiwan, a Taiwan-based freshly built training center for research and continuing medical education in minimally invasive surgery, thanks to a fruitful partnership with Show Chwan Memorial Hospital in Taiwan. This center will benefit of the same rigorous scientific and technical qualities that have made the IRCAD-EITS in Strasbourg so popular, with the added bonus of an exquisite and accessible setting at the heart of Asia.

Equipped with the latest technical teaching technologies, the facility stands out as the largest training center for minimal access surgery in Asia.

The objective of ASIA IRCAD - Taiwan is twofold. It is geared up:
- to provide top quality training in minimally invasive surgery, and even non-invasive;
- to promote research and development in the field of new surgical computer-guided and robotic assisted technologies.

The very first course, an intensive course in laparoscopic general surgery, will be held from the 27th to the 30th of May, 2008. It will be organized by the IRCAD Faculty and International Scientific Committee. Six more courses will be held during the year 2008 at the ASIA IRCAD - Taiwan, including colorectal surgery, urological surgery, gynaecological surgery, and Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES).

To find out more on these training courses and book your place now, please visit: http://www.eits.fr/asia_ircad_taiwan/.

General and digestive surgery:

• Laparoscopic total colectomy with partial proctectomy
• Stenotic anastomosis after sigmoidectomy: laparoscopic redo
• Laparoscopic redo fundoplication for a slipped Nissen
• Completion gastrectomy by laparoscopic approach for cancer of the gastric stump

Gynecologic surgery:

• Laparoscopic myomectomy after transitory clipping of the uterine arteries 

Laparoscopic cystoprostatectomy for bladder cancer in a male patient - R van Velthoven (BE)
Radical cystectomy remains the gold standard for muscle invasive bladder cancer and high-risk superficial tumors resistant to intravesical treatment. Nevertheless, the laparoscopic cystoprostatectomy has rarely been well codified and illustrated. 
Please click here to access chapter description.

This lecture, recorded live during the 3rd NOTES Hands-on Course (January 18-19, 2008), is on free access for all WeBSurg members!

• Next clinical steps and protocols -  N Soper (US)

Apply now for one of the following 2008 laparoscopic courses:

Digestive Surgery:

Intensive course in Laparoscopic General Surgery
February 4-8, 2008 FULL
March 10-14, 2008 FULL
May 19-23, 2008 FULL
September 22-26, 2008 FULL
December 8-12, 2008

Advanced Course in Laparoscopic Digestive Surgery
April 3-5, 2008
November 27-29, 2008

Advanced Course in Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery
June 27-28, 2008: Only option A is available
November 7-8, 2008

Advanced Course on NOTES (Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery)
March 28-29, 2008: Only option A is available
June 6-7, 2008 Only option A is available
October 3-4, 2008 Only option A is available

Advanced Course in Interventional GI Endoscopy Techniques
July 3-5, 2008 Only option A is available

Pediatric Surgery:

Advanced Course in Pediatric Endosurgery
October 16-18, 2008

Urological Surgery:

Intensive Course in Laparoscopic Urological Surgery
June 9-13, 2008 FULL
December 1-5, 2008

Cours intensifs en Chirurgie Laparoscopique Urologique
October 6-10, 2008

Advanced Course in Laparoscopic Urological Surgery: Laparoscopic Treatment of Kidney Tumors
April 24-26, 2008

International Advanced Symposium: Laparoscopic Treatment of Urological Pelvic Cancers: Prostate and Bladder
September 18-20, 2008

Gynecologic Surgery:

Gynecologic Surgery: Tips and tricks, anatomy suture and more...
March 25-27, 2008 FULL

Advanced Techniques in Operative Gynecological Endoscopy
May 5-7, 2008 FULL

Gynecological Cancer and Laparoscopic Approach: State of the Art
June 23-25, 2008

Current Techniques in the Treatment of Severe Endometriosis
September 8-10, 2008

Techniques Avancées en Endoscopie Gynécologique Opératoire
December 15-17, 2008

IRCAD-EITS courses are accredited by the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME) to provide the CME activities for medical specialists in their home European Country.

The EACCME is an institution of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS).

Click here to access the list of 2008 EITS course programs and their respective allocated European CME credits (ECMEC).

IRCAD-EITS involvement in 2008 meetings:

IRCAD-EITS-WeBSurg will be present as an exhibitor hosted by Karl Storz and will be happy to welcome you at the forthcoming events:

• SAGES 2008 Annual Scientific Meeting, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA (April 9-12, 2008)
• 16^th International Congress of the European Association for Endoscopic Surgery (EAES), Stockholm, Sweden (June 11-14, 2008)
• 11^th World Congress of Endoscopic Surgery, Yokohama, Japan (September 2-5, 2008)
• 2008 Annual Clinical Congress of the ACS, San Francisco, California, USA (October 12-16, 2008)

The 30^th International Congress of the European Hernia Society will be taking place in Sevilla, Spain, from the 7^th to the 10^th of May 2008.

For further details, click here.

We are happy to share with more than 1300 members the newest developments in Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery. Following our third NOTES Advanced Course that took place last January 18-19, 2008, we have made available new videos, new lectures, new expert interviews and vox populi! So make sure you check our EATS website and fully enjoy our updated NOTES material!

Dear members,

Please note that if you need an EATS association membership certificate, it can be delivered directly via the www.eats.fr website. Make sure you are logged on and go to your details section where you will find your membership certificate.

2 new videos:

• Transvaginal hybrid NOTES sleeve gastrectomy - M Vix, C Solano, M Asakuma (FR)
• Gastric access and closure: a safe approach paving the way to clinical applications - L Swanström (US)

3 new lectures:

• Next clinical steps and protocols -  N Soper (US)
• NOTES right colectomy with transrectal and transgastric access - L Swanström (US)
• NOTES cholecystectomy: initial clinical experience - B Dallemagne (FR)

New expert interviews:
N Soper (US)

2 New vox populi: 
From the floor:
In this first video footage, enjoy the spirit of one day at the course: get a real feel and thrill for the course conveyed by spot-on interviews of participants and experts!

From the lab:
In this second footage, get into THE lab experience: experiment the lab as it is on a hands-on training session!

New reading suggestions: please check our update!

By becoming an EATS member, you will take full advantage of our exclusive NOTES content on www.eats.fr, as well as other membership rights.

Calendar for 2008 NOTES courses at IRCAD-EITS:

• March 28-29, 2008: Only option A is available 
• June 6-7, 2008 Only option A is available
• October 3-4, 2008 Only option A is available

Option A limited to 50 participants
Option B limited to 34 participants

Due to the enormous success of the first, second, and third NOTES Hands-on courses, priority will be given to people that are on the waiting list and to EATS members. This will operate on a first come, first served basis.

Please click here to download registration form.

MAINCERT and AMA Category 1 CME credits™ available for the 2008 NOTES courses:

8.75 credits (option A)
25.25 credits (option B)

12 European CME credits (ECMEC) are also available. These credits have been provided by the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME), institution of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS).

We would be glad to receive any suggestions and comments! To contact us, please email to info@eats.fr for the EATS or webmaster@websurg.com for WeBSurg.

Yours faithfully,

Prof. Jacques MARESCAUX, MD, FRCS, FACS
President of IRCAD/EITS
President of EATS
WeBSurg Editor-in-Chief