Please click here to read the full article and view the video of the event.

Last May 26^th, IRCAD (The Research Institute against Cancer of the Digestive Tract) majestically inaugurated the ASIA IRCAD – Taiwan, a Taiwan-based freshly built training centre for continuing medical education in minimally invasive surgery, thanks to a fruitful partnership with the Chang Bing Show Chwan Memorial Hospital in Taiwan. This centre 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 of approximately 7,300 square meters stands out as the largest training centre for minimal access surgery in Asia (23 operating tables for training on live tissue).

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, was held from the 27th to the 30th of May, 2008. It was 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, Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES), interventional digestive endoscopy techniques, and orthopedics.
To find out more on these training courses and book your place now, please visit: http://www.eits.fr/asia_ircad_taiwan/.

Please click here to read article and watch film of the event.

Discover our new section that allows you to browse through all the videos showing tips and tricks in all the different surgical fields represented on WeBSurg.

The Tips 'n' Tricks section is the best way to find videos that show original techniques, the place to go if you are looking for something else than a "routine" or "gold" procedure!

To go straight to the TIPS 'N' TRICKS section, please click here.

General and digestive surgery:

• Complicated colonic diverticulitis (Hinchey IIb): is there a limit for a totally laparoscopic resection?
• Large type III hiatal hernia repair with a biological diaphragmatic mesh and partial posterior fundoplication

New Section: Tips and tricks:

• Tips and tricks: rectal superior vessel preservation using the new LigaSure Advance
• Tips and tricks: a new method for colorectal anastomosis using a triple stapling technique
• A stepwise approach for laparoscopic right colectomy using the new LigaSure Advance
• Use of the new EEA stapler in a laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass

Endocrine surgery: 

• Radical thymectomy using a bilateral thoracoscopic approach for stage 1 thymoma

Gynecological surgery: 

• Laparoscopic tubal reversal for Fallopian tube ligation

Urological surgery:

• Laparoscopic ureteral reimplantation for the management of ureteral stenosis

Do not miss this debate between two leading experts of the gynecologic world: A. Brill (US) and R. Pasic (US).

This heated debate concentrates around the existence of a totally safe entry technique.

Apply now for one of the following 2008 laparoscopic courses:

Digestive Surgery:

Intensive course in Laparoscopic General Surgery
September 22-26, 2008 FULL
December 8-12, 2008 FULL

Advanced Course in Laparoscopic Digestive Surgery
November 27-29, 2008 Only option A is available

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

Advanced Course on NOTES (Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery)
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 Urology
October 16-18, 2008

Urological Surgery:

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

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

International Advanced Symposium: Laparoscopic Treatment of Urological Pelvic Cancers: Prostate and Bladder
September 18-20, 2008 Only option A is available

Gynecologic Surgery:

Advanced Techniques in Operative Gynecological Endoscopy
December 15-17, 2008

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

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

Following the inauguration and the first course held in Taiwan (May 27-30, 2008), we are pleased to release the complete calendar of 2008 courses held at the ASIA IRCAD TAIWAN and the CME accreditation received for each course.

CME accreditation is provided for all programs to be held at ASIA IRCAD - Taiwan: AMA Category 1 credits™ and MAINCERT credits will be delivered.

Click here to access the 2008 calendar of courses.

Make sure you do not miss out on this unique opportunity and register now for one of the few remaining places!

The ASIA IRCAD will be holding the very first NOTES course at the heart of Asia from the 10th of September to the 12th. All of the IRCAD’s experts in this field, as well as internationally renowned experts, will be travelling to Taiwan to demonstrate the applicability of NOTES and train surgeons to the techniques. The course will unravel in a similar way to the one at the IRCAD, with theory lectures, live operations transmitted to the conference rooms and hands-on practice on live tissue in the experimental OR room: A matchless OR room providing 23 fully equipped operating tables and the latest technology in a majestic environment.

Do not miss this chance and register now for your ticket by clicking here.

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:

• 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)

We are happy to share with more than 1900 members the newest developments in Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery. Following our fourth NOTES Advanced Course that took place last March 28-29, 2008, we have made available new media! So make sure you check our EATS website and fully enjoy our updated NOTES material!

4 New lectures:

• Transvaginal retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy by NOTES in a pig model - J Nassif (FR)
• NOTES sentinel node biopsy - R Cahill (IE)
• Robotics and virtual reality in NOTES - L Soler (FR)
• Single port surgery: facts and concepts - S Perretta (FR)

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:

• October 3-4, 2008 Only option A is available

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

International Symposium and Advanced Course in NOTES at ASIA IRCAD - TAIWAN Training Center:
From Endoluminal to Transluminal Surgery
September 10-12, 2008
For further details, click here

Due to the enormous success of the first four 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