The members of the jury have met and have decided upon the final ranking of the WeBSurg Award. To view the ranking along with the names of the 3 award-winning members, please click here.

Congratulations to all participants!

Last month, we published the first one of a clinical case presentation pinpointing the association of endometriosis and hepatic tumor (Focal Nodular Hyperplasia). The surgeon's decision on whether or not to operate was debatable. Questions about the therapeutic management were raised.

We would like to thank all the WeBSurg members who took some time to answer the short quiz on the topic.

This month, we are releasing the answers and outcome of our clinical case.

Click here to view the conclusion of this 1st clinical case presentation.

We are releasing as a whole exceptionnally this month to all our members 8 live surgical procedures as shown during the latest EITS advanced course in laparoscopic digestive surgery (April 3-5, 2008). This will give you an overview of the content and quality of the procedures performed live during courses at the IRCAD-EITS.

General and digestive surgery:

• Preservation of superior rectal vessels: laparoscopic sigmoidectomy for diverticulosis 
• Laparoscopic floppy Nissen: a standard procedure
• Left Spiegelian and left retrofunicular inguinal hernias: laparoscopic TAPP repair
• Laparoscopic TEP repair for left inguinal hernia: a stepwise approach to the preperitoneal space
• Laparoscopic redo for dysphagia after Nissen fundoplication induced by fibrosis at the hiatal orifice 
• Cancer of the descending colon: laparoscopic left colectomy
• Typical demonstration of a laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass
• Laparoscopic repair of a giant hiatal hernia: challenging dissection of the hernia sac

Pediatric surgery:

• Total intracorporeal excision of a choledochal cyst with Roux-en-Y reconstruction in a 10-year-old female patient

This is the very first intensive course in Laparoscopic General Surgery that will be held in Taiwan, at the heart of Asia, on May 27-30, 2008. On this occasion, all of the IRCAD Faculty and Scientific Committee will be present at ASIA IRCAD - Taiwan, the brand-new training centre in minimal access surgery that will be freshly inaugurated on May 26, 2008. 

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

Please click here to find out more about the course program and registration fees.

Download course program here

Click here to access the 2008 calendar of courses.

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

Apply now for one of the following 2008 laparoscopic courses:

Digestive Surgery:

Intensive course in Laparoscopic General Surgery
May 19-23, 2008 FULL
September 22-26, 2008 FULL
December 8-12, 2008 FULL

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

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)
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

Advanced Course in Laparoscopic Aortoiliac Surgery
November 13-15, 2008

Pediatric Surgery:

Advanced Course in Pediatric Urology
October 16-18, 2008

Urological Surgery:

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

Gynecologic Surgery:

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

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 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 of approximately 7,300 square meters 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/.

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)

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 1700 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!

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.

3 New lectures:

• Transoral foregut endoscopic surgery - GB Cadiere (BE)
• NOTES: esophagus and mediastinum - A Fritscher-Ravens (UK)
• Flexible robotic endoscopic technology for surgical and diagnostic applications - A Noll (USA)

New Expert Interviews:
GB Cadiere (BE), A Fritscher-Ravens (UK)

New Vox Populi: From the floor and from the lab: immerse yourself in this unique environment and enjoy the highlights of the course as if you were there!

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:

• 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

NOTES course at IRCAD TAIWAN Training Center:
September 10-12, 2008
For further details, click here

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