Dr. Reich keeps his word for ARD Education and Awareness as 2006 President of the ISGE!

THIS IS ON THE ISGE Website!
Dr. Reich keeps his word for ARD Education and Awareness as 2006 President of the ISGE!
http://www.isge.org/nshowp.php?pid=136

Laparoscopic adhesiolysis

LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY FOR ADHESIOLYSIS



Harry Reich, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., FACS

Attending Physician, Wyoming Valley Health Care System, Wilkes-Barre, PA

Corresponding Author:

Harry Reich, M.D.

Phone: 877 5277874


LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY FOR ADHESIOLYSIS Harry Reich, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., FACS
INTRODUCTION

Postoperative adhesions occur after almost every abdominal surgery and are the leading cause of intestinal obstruction. Over 90% of patients undergoing abdominal operations will develop postsurgical adhesions. This was not considered surprising, given the extreme delicacy of the peritoneum and the fact that apposition of two injured surfaces nearly always results in adhesion formation.1
For the surgeon, laparoscopic lysis of bowel adhesions is fraught with danger to his/her reputation as bad results often are accompanied by poor reimbursement and lawsuits. This surgery is not for every surgeon!
But if you take up the challenge, be prepared.MORE...................http://www.isge.org/nshowp.php?pid=136
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PLUS:
Message from President of ISGE: http://www.isge.org/nshowp.php?pid=135
Message from President of ISGE, Jan 2006
Message from President of ISGE
Dear members,

I welcome the opportunity to serve as the president of ISGE. Fortunately, this is a two year term as the first 6 months have been a time consuming learning experience. I thank my board for bearing with me. I hope to accomplish my major goals over the next 18 months.

We had a great 14th annual congress in London, April 2005, with attendance of over 550 gynecologists. I expressed my appreciation to Jeremy Wright and Ellis Downes.
Our 9th regional meeting in September was titled “The Uterus and More”. As those in attendance know, it certainly was more! We thank Prashant Mangeshikar for organizing this meeting and the many surprises he had for us. Though Mumbai was recovering from recent floods, attendance at the meeting was over 600.

I look forward to 2006 and our 15th annual meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina starting March 29, 2006. Preliminary attendance reports look great, and I know that Roberto Sainz has worked hard to make this a successful meeting. I know that it has been difficult finding speaking space for many who want to come, but the scientific program and the social program will make this meeting a great value. I have done two ISGE surgical workshops in Buenos Aires with Tom Lyons and Ray Valle five years ago and still can’t tango. This time I will do my best as Roberto may have tango teachers in the hospitality suite. I encourage you to be there.

In September 2006, we will have our 10th Regional meeting in Beijing, a vibrant city with much shopping at low prices. The Great Wall is not far from our meeting place. Gynecologic endoscopic surgery with live demonstrations will be highlighted. I believe that China is rapidly adapting to minimally invasive surgery and will be a large part of our future. From my ISGE experience there, I see few negatives and believe that this meeting should not be missed.

In 2007, our annual meeting is in Osaka, Japan and our regional meeting is in Munich, Germany. Osaka is a modern city not far from Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan. The Munich meeting is a two and a half day event ending at noon Saturday for the opening of Oktoberfest. Reservations are usually impossible for this international event, but we have reserved 200 rooms for our meeting. The topic “adhesions” will certainly attract gynecologists, general surgeons, and basic scientists. Please realize that attendees may choose to see and/or experience the life in the largest beer tent in the world. Book early! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to combine study and a global festival.

The ISGE board members negotiations with the European Society of Gynaecological Endoscopy (ESGE) to organise our 2008 annual meeting in Bari, Italy have been challenging. I wish to express my appreciation to our board member, Stefano Bettocchi, for his active participation in organising this ISGE annual meeting.


My goals for this year are as follows:

· Make the website user friendly, including a chat line and monthly updates on controversial areas in our specialty, flavored by many opinions.
· Increase membership.
· Increase patient access to our membership.
· Work more closely with AAGL, ESGE, APAGE, AGES, and SLS.
· Encourage and recognize Centers of Excellence for patient referral for difficult cases.
· Promote reusable instruments for advanced laparoscopic surgery.
· Promote public awareness that robotics are rarely advantageous in gynecologic surgery.
· Support courses in the Caribbean, Central America, South America, Eastern Europe including Russia, and China.

I have operated in many different parts of the world teaching endoscopic surgery over the past 20 years. The drive for gynecologic endoscopy is very much alive worldwide.

However, gynecologists are often embarrassed discussing laparoscopic surgery with general surgeons, or should be. General surgeons have taken the lead in laparoscopic surgery, a trend considered impossible a few years ago. Very few gynecologic surgeons excise endometriosis or do total laparoscopic hysterectomy when indicated.

Remember that I am a product of the most expensive fragmented health care system on the planet. Laparoscopic surgery in the USA certainly is not the standard, especially not in gynecology. We have no standards. But, perhaps, we need some. I used to say that we have a long way to go. However, in the USA and many other countries, governments will soon tell us the way to go!

I believe it is time for the ISGE to play a leading role in gynecologic endoscopic surgery worldwide, both the surgery and the politics. We need to form a World Federation of International Societies of Gynecologic Endoscopy. (The general surgeons already have their laparoscopic world federation. And few of them can operate without expensive disposable instruments.)

At our Annual Congress in Buenos Aires, we are inviting representatives from other societies to attend our board meeting as non-voting participants. When Federation time comes around, these participants will be much better known to represent their region of the world.
At the General Assembly, we will discuss the concept of a World Federation of International Societies of Gynecologic Endoscopy with you. We look forward to receiving your opinions and we will assemble them into an ISGE policy. With other endoscopic societies, ISGE will be a leader in creating a Federation. We must create a more prestigious entity for the benefit of our patients.


Finally, I encourage you to read Johan VanDerWat’s contribution about endometriosis from his successful Capetown, South Africa meeting September 2004 on our website: isge.org.

My very best wishes for the coming year 2006 to you and your loved ones.
I wish you the best for the year 2006.

Harry Reich
President ISGE
XV Annual Congress of the ISGE
“Setting up New Trends in Gynecological Endoscopy and
Minimally Invasive Surgery”
March 29th to April 1st, 2006 - Buenos Aires, Argentina