Over the past year, the evolution of the WeBSurg program has been outstanding. 2007 marks the availability of WeBSurg in other languages such as Spanish and Chinese.

WeBSurg totals more than 62,000 active members with an average of 3,500 new members every month. As an example, this newsletter is now sent to 82,500 valid email addresses. In 2007, WeBSurg was seen by visitors 980,000 times with 8 million pages viewed and over 2,600,000 video hits.

Distribution of visits breaks down as follows: Europe (36%), North America (25%), Asia (20%), South America (12%), Africa (6%) and Oceania (1%). 

General and digestive surgery:

• Robotic-assisted removal of a gastric band
• Laparoscopic sigmoidectomy with initial splenic flexure mobilization for diverticular disease 
• Dealing with vascular variation: laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Endocrine surgery:

• Minimally invasive video-assisted right parathyroidectomy: lateral approach, variation of Miccoli's technique 
• Laparoscopic right adrenalectomy for Conn's adenoma using ultrasonic shears

Gynecologic surgery:

• Laparoscopic trachelectomy and partial cystectomy for the management of recurrent bladder endometriosis after subtotal hysterectomy 

Thoracic surgery:

• Full thoracoscopic lingulectomy

Videosurgery in Pediatric Urology:

• Retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephrectomy – A El Ghoneimi (FR)
• Laparoscopic partial nephrectomy: retroperitoneal approach – A El Ghoneimi (FR)
• Laparoscopic partial nephrectomy by transperitoneal approach – S Geiss (FR)
• The retroperitoneal prone approach for laparoscopic nephrectomy – MD Leclair (FR)

• Minimally invasive surgery for neuroblastoma in children – MD Leclair (FR)
• Laparoscopic pyeloplasty for hydronephrosis in horseshoe kidneys  – P Philippe (LU)
• Peritoneal dialysis and importance of correct catheter placement  – M Schlobach (BR)

Operative Gynecologic Endoscopy
V Gomel (CA)

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)
January 18-19, 2008: Only option A is available
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
January 21-25, 2008 FULL
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

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

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 1200 members the newest developments in Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery. To celebrate the new year we have made available a brand-new exciting editorial and a video on a one trocar sleeve gastrectomy in an experimental model. So make sure you check our EATS website and fully enjoy our 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.

1 new editorial for NOTES: NOTES, TUES, TULA, NOTUS... authored by B Dallemagne, S Perretta, J Marescaux
NOTES on TUES: will TransUmbilical Endoscopic Surgery bridge the gap between laparoscopy and NOTES? The action behind the attraction

1 new video:

• One trocar sleeve gastrectomy in an experimental model using the air-seal device - C Solano (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:

• January 18-19, 2008: Only option A is available
• 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 and second 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