Go back to the main website | This is the 2020 edition archive
SURGICON is an INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS organized by the Romanian Student Society of Surgery.
The second edition will take place during October 22nd – October 25th 2020.
People are sometimes unexplicably attracted to the new in their surroundings, so we are constantly trying to offer our colleagues original means of expressing their academic curious spirit – increasing and updating the types of activities that we organise, workshops and scientific endeavours, is a permanent concern.
Last year’s edition brought together almost 500 participants, almost 50 workshops covering all surgical specialties, and around 15 international speakers that inspired us with their words and experiences. Encouraging, yet down to earth and warm, they offered eye-opening lectures on what we are to encounter. We aim for the same amount of incentives and wish to display a similar progressive vision.
So many generations of passionate emerging surgeons dedicated their spare time and energy to our Society and their colleagues – proud to move their mission forward, more and more students adhered to the group of 6 that started this journey. There are now hundreds in it, and we expect more and more – join the Surgicon spinoff and let’s keep growing together!
World-renowned surgeons will focus their talks on research perspectives in surgery
and challenges faced on the road to becoming a successful practitioner
Bart van der Zwan, MD, PhD - Neurosurgery
"Cerebral Bypass Surgery: The Past, Now and the Future"
Prof. Bart Van der Zwan, from the University Medical Center Utrecht, is a successful vascular neurosurgeon, specialized in bypass surgery for the treatment of ischemia and aneurysms and he has agreed to join our scientific programme and share with us an insight into his branch and a bit of his vast experience!
As a board member of the Brain Technology Institute, he will take us on a journey covering some of the latest and most complex procedures and instruments in the field.
Prof. Van der Zwan is also the successor of the founding father of the ELANA (Excimer Laser Assisted Non-occlusive Anastomosis) technique, prof. C.A.F. Tulleken. A great part of his work is dedicated to this subject, as it is a very important feature in bypass surgery, facilitating previously impossible interventions!
Geert De Naeyer, MD, PhD - Urology
"Robotics in Urologic surgery: from the kidneys towards the pelvis and even microsurgery: state of the art of robotic partial nephrectomy, psoas-hitch repair and robot vaso-vasostomy"
Dr. Geert, from the department of Urology of the Onze-Lieve-Vrouw Clinic in Aalst, Belgium, is a member of the European Board of Urology since 2009.
He is one of the pioneers of the robotic surgery field, having participated in many publications regarding this vast domain, while also being the first to describe a robotic psoas-hitch repair.
Our speaker is for sure an authentic example of combining the passion for medicine with nowadays evolved technology and we're very glad that he has agreed to join our congress and offer an insight into his work and studies.
Listening to this devoted trainer for robotic surgery will offer us the chance to find out up-to-date information regarding this challenging field of the future.
Andrew Hill, MBChB, MD, EdD - General Surgery
"A Miracle and a Privilege - on being a surgeon"
He has trained in the US and New Zealand and has worked in Kenya and New Zealand as a Surgeon. He is now Professor of Surgery at the University of Auckland. He has established an internationally recognised research group in peri-operative care at Middlemore Hospital in South Auckland, and has made seminal contributions to the understanding of the metabolic response to surgery.
He has over 300 peer-reviewed publications, mostly in the areas of peri-operative care or medical education. His work has been published in top journals in the fields, including JAMA Surgery, Annals of Surgery, the British Journal of Surgery and the British Medical Journal.
He is regularly invited to speak at meetings in Europe, USA, Asia, and Australia and New Zealand, and is a reviewer for more than 30 journals (including the BMJ, Lancet, Medical Education, JAMA Surgery, British Journal of Surgery, Annals of Surgery), and reviews for research funding organisations in the Netherlands, UK, Italy, Canada, the USA and Australasia.
He will talk about his journey, its ups and downs and lessons learned. He will talk about his research and his work as the President of the International Society of Surgery, the World's oldest international surgical society.
Nuria Novoa, MD, PhD - Thoracic Surgery
“Learning to say no: I won’t operate on you”
Dr. Novoa is a highly respected consultant surgeon at the University Hospital of Salamanca, also taking charge of the residency programme there, and an assistant professor at the University of Salamanca, in the Thoracic Surgery department.
Dr. Novoa published dozens of original research papers, only in the past 5 years, while being involved in several scholarship awarded research projects and regularly reviewing many of the scientific journals in the field, like the European Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery or the Journal of Thoracic Oncology.
Her memberships include the European Society of Thoracic Surgery, the European Society of Cardiothoracic Surgery, the International Thymic Malignancy Interest Group and so much more!
Ramesh Batra, MBBS, MA (Bioethics), FRCS, FACS - Transplant Surgery
“Ethical Triage in Liver Allocation”
We would like to introduce you to another amazing speaker, Dr. Ramesh Batra!
He is not only a well-known faculty, and surgeon scientist in the division of Transplant Surgery at the Yale School of Medicine, but also an adult and paediatric multi-organ abdominal transplant surgeon.
He trained in some of the premier institutions in United Kingdom and United States of America in the field of organ transplantation, and went on to acquire the Membership of The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (MRCSEd) and subsequently admitted to the Fellowship of The Royal College of Surgeons and Physicians of Glasgow (FRCS(G)) and also Fellowship of the American College of Surgeons (FACS).
Dr. Batra's clinical expertise is in high risk organ transplantation and living donor liver transplantation. Alongside his clinical expertise in transplant surgery, he has another passion, i.e. Biomedical Ethics.
He has extensively published in prestigious journals and presented in international conferences his academic and clinical accomplishments both in the field of organ transplantation and biomedical ethics.
Olivia Sgarbură, MD, PhD - Surgical Oncology
“Innovation and research in surgical oncology: the hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy”
Olivia Sgarbură, MD, PhD is one of the founders of the Romanian Student Society of Surgery and now holds the title of Honorary President.
Specialised in surgical oncology, dr. Sgarbură now activates at a prestigious institute in France - Institut Regional du Cancer Montpellier, but the distance never represented a barrier between her and our Society, as she always accompanied and supervised RSSS' members throughout the years.
With numerous publications regarding hepatobilliary, pancreatic and peritoneal surgical techniques and as a member of the International Association of Surgeons, Gastroenterologists and Oncologists (IASGO), but also of the Society of Medical Innovations and Technologies (SMIT) and of course, of the European Society of Surgical Oncologists (ESSO), she will provide us with an inspiring lecture and so many words of wisdom!
Brigita Drnovsek-Olup, MD, PhD - Ophthalmology
"Modern surgical approaches in ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery"
Prof. dr. Brigita Drnovsek-Olup is not only an exceptional doctor, a lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine in Ljubljana and the Expert Director of the Ljubljana University Medical Center, but she is also the first woman to be recognised within the European Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
She is well-known in the field for introducing improvements to existing treatment methods, but also for her own innovative methods, especially in laser therapy.
Ophthalmology is a very demanded medical specialty in Romania, so we believe that prof. dr. Brigita Drnovsek-Olup will shed a light on all of your questions regarding this topic.
David Chang, MD, FACS - Plastics & Reconstructive Microsurgery
“Update on Surgical Treatment of Lymphedema”
David Chang, MD, FACS, from the Department of Reconstructive Microsurgery, University of Chicago, is by far a mentor in this fascinating domain of surgery, being a pioneer and an innovator in many fields, such as breast reconstruction, head and neck reconstruction and, most recently, the surgical management of lymphedema.
Dr. David Chang is also the president of the World Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery (WSRM) and past president of the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery (ASRM), having been granted the prestigious Godina Travelling Fellowship.
He is going to give a lecture about surgical management of lymphedema, lymphaticovenular bypass and vascularized lymph node transfers, and also his passion for surgical prevention of lymphedema through LYMPHA.
Carla Pugh, MD, PhD - General Surgery
“The Future of Surgery is Haptic and Digital”
Dr. Carla Pugh is a Professor of Surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine and the Director of the Technology Enabled Clinical Improvement Center. Her clinical area of expertise is Acute Care Surgery and she is considered to be a leading, international expert on the use of sensors and motion tracking technologies for performance measurement.
She is recorded to be the first surgeon in the United States to obtain a PhD in Education. Her goal is to use technology to change the face of medical and surgical education.
Dr. Pugh’s research involves the use of advanced data acquisition technology and simulators, aiming to define competency in clinical procedural skills. In 2011, President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers - at the White House, but, of course, this is just one of many awards.
Jean-Pierre Becquemin, MD, PhD - Vascular Surgery
"Aortic Aneurysms: State of the art in 2020"
We are very proud to announce a new speaker that we will have the chance to listen to at this year's edition of SURGICON, Prof. Jean-Pierre Becquemin, MD!
His research interests include open and endovascular treatment of aortic aneurysms, carotid and peripheral vascular disease.
A quick search on PubMed reveals 321 peer reviewed articles with his name on them, covering the most particular subjects in vascular surgery, including various approaches to abdominal aortic aneurysms, physician-modified stents and the impact of the pandemic over the field.
Thus, we will stay connected to the future, while learning how to use our present to develop it, in the form of new techniques and new treatments with the same unfading passion.
David J. Hackam, MD, PhD - Pediatric Surgery
"A pediatric surgical journey of discovery: new insights into the management and treatment of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis"
We are happy to announce another speaker who agreed to be a part of our congress, David Joel Hackam, MD, PhD, from the Department of Pediatric Surgery, Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.
Being involved in numerous medical societies – such as the Society of University Surgeons, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Surgical Association and Canadian Medical Association and having received many awards over the time, dr. Hackam is a role-model in pediatric surgery.
From traumatic intestinal injuries and neonatal surgery to physiopathology and pathogenesis of NEC, together with cell and molecular biology, he is conducting research in order to find out the best possible approaches for his patients.
He will give a lecture that describes his journey from clinical observation at the bedside of a sick surgical neonate to research into the pathogenesis of a complex disease (namely necrotizing enterocolitis) and the ultimate discovery of a novel drug that could save thousands of lives.
Eugene S. Kim, MD, FACS, FAAP - Pediatric Surgery
"Finding Success in Academic Surgery"
Excelling in both pediatric surgical oncology and malformations, dr. Eugene S. Kim, from the General Pediatric Surgery Department at Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, is involved in research on children's neuroblastoma, the third most common type of cancer in children.
He is remarkable as a clinical expert, researcher and teacher, as well, his devotion for his work and his great abilities having been recognised throughout his career via numerous awards.
Dr. Kim's lecture will cover some of the aspects he dedicated himself to and he will talk about his passion for pediatric surgical oncology, his mentors, the challenges of this domain and the reasons that make him continue and wish to develop himself in the field.
Tina Gaarder, MD, PhD - Trauma Surgery
"What the critically injured patient needs"
Prof. Christine Gaarder, who is now the head of the department of Traumatology at Oslo University Hospital Ullevål (OUH U), has acquired an extensive experience through the various environments that she activated in.
She's had trauma training in South Africa and was also involved as a reservist with the Norwegian armed forces.
Prof. Gaarder was also deeply involved in the development of the Norwegian trauma system and in the projection of future hospitals in the capital region.
Moreover, she was the president of the International Association for Trauma Surgery and Intensive Care (IATSIC) and one of the founders of the International Trauma Research Network (ITRN), a multicenter research consortium.
Kunj Desai, MD - Plastics & Reconstructive Microsurgery
"Wide awake surgery"
Dr. Desai was born in the African country of Zambia. After obtaining his medical degree in India he subsequently moved to the United States, where he completed his training in Plastic, Reconstructive, Hand & Microsurgery.
As a trainee surgeon, Dr. Desai was actively involved in clinical and lab research in the areas of solid organ transplantation, remote ischemic preconditioning and wound healing, among others, research that has led to presentations at numerous regional, national and international meetings.
His research efforts resulted in the publication of numerous scholarly articles as well as book chapters in peer-reviewed journals and books.
Now, his practice encompasses a broad spectrum of reconstructive surgery. From complex hand surgery, congenital hand deformity correction, head and neck cancer reconstruction or extremity salvage surgery to Targeted Muscle Reinnervation and peripheral nerve reconstruction.
He is also the Associate Programme Director at the esteemed Hand & Microvascular Surgery Fellowship of the renowned hand surgeon Dr. David Green, in San Antonio, Texas.
Dr. Desai is truly passionate about improving the access to surgical care in resource poor settings. As such, he is a big proponent of Wide Awake Surgery, which also constitutes the topic of his lecture.
Kathleen Casey, MD - Global surgery
“Tomorrow’s Global Surgeons”
There is a growing interest in the field of Global Surgery, though for many it can still be a bit abstract and difficult to comprehend. Global Surgery efforts recognize the tremendous need for surgical care in underserved areas around the world and emphasize the importance of surgeons, anesthesiologists, obstetricians and other members of the surgical team in delivering that care - and in contributing to the solutions that are needed.
Thus, in order to help us put it all in the spotlight, we are honoured to introduce to you Dr. Kathleen Casey, MD!
Dr. Kathleen Casey is the Secretary of the Alliance for Surgery and Anaesthesia Presence (ASAP). She joined the American College of Surgeons in 2004 as a founding director of Operation Giving Back and was responsible for the design, development, and implementation of the College’s volunteerism initiative.
One more thing to mention is the fact that prior to joining the College’s staff, Dr. Casey served eight years as a general surgeon in the U.S. Navy.
But you can find out more about dr. Kathleen Casey's work and passions, as well as global approaches in surgery, if you join the second edition of SURGICON!
Alexandre Mottrie, MD - Urology
"How robotics changed my life"
Urology is a complex specialty, which involves many skills, only acquired through very hard work and dedication. And since we know that many of you are interested in this medical field, we present to you Prof. Dr. Alexandre Mottrie!
Prof. Mottrie is very passionate about urological oncology and minimal invasive surgery. In 2001, he was one of the first in his field to start studying robot-assisted surgery, and now has a track record of over 3500 robotic procedures.
Moreover, he is the one that brought laparoscopic and robotic surgery in his department and, under his coordination, the OLV Hospital evolved into a robotic expert center with over 650 robotic procedures every year.
While also very involved in the scientific community, Prof. Mottrie published several research papers and is actively supporting and participating at scientific events, through live surgeries and masterclasses. Moreover, in 2010, he founded the Orsi Academy, a multidisciplinary centre for training and expertise in minimally invasive surgery.
Gordon Lee, MD - Plastics & Reconstructive Microsurgery
"Breast Reconstruction: The Stanford Experience"
We have the honour to introduce one more esteemed speaker and the last on our list, Prof. Gordon K. Lee, MD, Professor of Surgery (Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery), at the Stanford University Medical Center!
Being a member of so many international medical societies and also having a great experience in research, Prof. Lee is well-known for having proved how abdominal nerve blocks can significantly decrease use of pain medications after reconstructive surgery, especially in oncologic resection surgeries.
Consequently, he is going to give a lecture about the "Transversus Abdominis Plane Block in Microsurgical Breast Reconstruction with Abdominal Free Flap in Breast" and talk about his passion for this fascinating field of surgery and the path to success in this domain.
By listening to Prof. Lee, we will have the chance to discover the challenges and the rewards that could shape our future as surgeons!
Even more coming soon
Endometriosis is an often painful condition in which cells similar to those in the endometrium, the layer of tissue that normally covers the inside of the uterus, grow outside it. Most commonly, it involves the ovaries, fallopian tubes and the tissue lining the pelvis. Doctors can diagnose and treat endometriosis with laparoscopy. The surgeon makes small incisions near the navel and lower abdomen, examines the internal organs and removes any visible endometriosis, adhesions and endometriomas restoring the normal pelvic anatomy as much as possible.
This live-in-a-box session involves three presentations:
• What is endometriosis and how do we establish the correct diagnosis?
• Therapeutic principles in the treatment of deep infiltrating endometriosis
• The surgical treatment of deep infiltrating intestinal endometriosis
Vitrectomy is a surgical procedure where some or all of the vitreous humor gel that fills the space between the lens and the retina of the eyeball is removed in order to provide better access to the retina. This technique could be performed in patients with a retinal tear, diabetic retinopathy, a macular hole, epiretinal membrane, an infection called endophthalmitis, severe eye injury or a retinal detachment. The surgeon then injects saline or a bubble made of gas or silicone oil into the space, which will be gradually replaced by the eye’s own fluids.
A hiatal hernia occurs when the upper part of your stomach bulges through the diaphragm. Although many people with hiatal hernia do not experience any signs or symptoms and do not need treatment, if recurrent heartburn or acid reflux occur, they may need medication or surgery. Surgery is used for those who do not respond to medication or have complications, such as severe inflammation or narrowing of the esophagus. The procedure may involve pulling the stomach down into the abdomen and making the opening in the diaphragm smaller, reconstructing an esophageal sphincter or removing the hernia sac.
The posterior cranial fossa is the deepest and most confined space in the skull. Posterior fossa hematomas are life-threatening hemorrhages that affect the structures of the posterior fossa (cerebellum and the brainstem). The surgical management of this condition can be done either by placing an external ventricular drain or through an open craniotomy. The main approaches are suboccipital paramedian or midline craniotomy. The procedures start with the skin incision, then, both skin and muscles are dissected and lifted off the skull. Once the bone is exposed, we can do the craniotomy. The craniotomy flap is lifted and removed, uncovering the dura mater. The bone flap is stored to be replaced at the end of the procedure. The dura mater is then opened to expose the brain parenchyma. After the hematoma is drained, the dura mater is closed, and the bone flap is positioned, aligned, and fixed with metal clips. Finally, the skin is sutured.
The live surgery session will be initiated by a presentation of Dr. Vicențiu Săceleanu entitled “Brain IT – Brain revealed: Innovative technologies in neurosurgery study”.
The surgery done for cervical and ovarian cancer is a radical hysterecomy with salpingo-oophorectomy.The goal of the surgery is to remove all visible ovarian and cervical cancer. It usually includes a hysterectomy, which removes the uterus, cervix, and parts of the vagina, a salpingo-oophorectomy which removes the ovaries and fallopian tubes, removing and checking the pelvic and aortic lymph nodes to see if the cancer has spread,checking the abdominal organs, the omentum and tissues for cancer cells.
A cataract is an opacification of the lens of the eye which leads to a blurry vision and an increased glare of the lights. It develops slowly and can affect one or both eyes. Fortunately, cataract surgery is generally a safe, effective procedure and it takes an hour or less to perform. During the surgical intervention, the clouded lens is removed and a clear artificial lens is usually implanted into the empty lens capsule. In some cases, however, a cataract may be removed without implanting an artificial lens. The majority of people who undergo cataract surgery regain their vision and heal completely within eight weeks.
Mitral valve prolapse is a condition in which the two valve flaps of the mitral valve do not close smoothly or evenly, but bulge (prolapse) upward into the left atrium. Techniques of mitral repair include putting in chords in place of the ruptured chords that led to the leaky valve in the first place. Cutting out extra mitral valve leaflet tissues for large prolapsed valves and making other modifications to the valve leaflets to prevent further leakiness.
The live-in-a-box session includes four presentations:
• The surgical anatomy in mitral valve diseases
• Perioperative echocardiography in mitral prolapse
• Case presentation and surgical approach
• Sternotomy vs. minithoracotomy in mitral valve repair
A pituitary adenoma is a growth or tumor on the pituitary gland. In transnasal transsphenoidal endoscopic surgery, a surgical instrument is placed through the nostril and alongside the nasal septum to access a pituitary tumor. The surgeon inserts the endoscope in one nostril and advances it to the back of the nasal cavity. The thin bone of the sella is removed to expose the tumor and the pituitary gland. Through a small hole in the sella, the tumor is removed by the neurosurgeon in pieces with long grasping instruments.
The live-in-a-box session includes two presentations:
• Endoscopic transnasal approach of pituitary adenomas
• Closing methods of the skull base, incidents and accidents
Both primary and secondary liver cancers are among the most commonly reported causes of cancer-related death. Laparoscopy has become the standard of care for minor liver resections and for some major liver resections. Robotic surgery for liver resections is a promising novel technique and may overcome the limitations of laparoscopy. Laparoscopic radio-frequency ablation and microwave coagulation are additional tools to achieve a local control of lesions nonamenable to surgical resection.
The live-in-a-box session includes two presentations:
• Minimally invasive approach to liver tumors – a tale from the learning curve
• A glimpse to the resident life in a HBP team
Deadline for abstract submission: October 2nd.
Deadline for abstract submission: October 2nd.
