This year created a great opportunity for extended transatlantic exchange and defined the US as partner country, as noted by President of the German Society Prof. Christiane Bruns, MD. We were honored to welcome ACS President Henri R. Ford, MD, MHA, FACS, ACS Executive Director & CEO Patricia Turner, MD, MBA, FACS, and ACS Regent Fabrizio Michelassi, MD, FACS, who received the Honorary Membership of the German Society of Surgery.
The President’s Dinner set the stage for scientific and social discussion.
For many years, the ACS Germany Chapter has organized an ACS–German Society of Surgery International Panel at the Annual Congress. This year, we focused on “Exit Strategies in Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery.”
It was a pleasure to welcome Dr. Michelassi as Co-Chair. The hybrid session included two panelists from the US. Paula Figueroa from Boston, Massachusetts, gave an interesting talk: “How to Control Challenges in Routine Surgery – Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery,” and Nicholas Zyromski, MD, FACS, from Indianapolis, Indiana addressed the same question for cholecystectomy.
From Germany, Jessica Leers, MD, of Cologne analyzed exit strategies for robotic fundoplication and Roland Croner, MD, of Magdeburg did the same for the small pelvis. The summarizing discussion made clear that the expansion of robotic surgery requires new structures in training addressing centralization and specialization especially in Germany. Free access to the session was provided online for the surgical societies of Lithuania and the Ukraine to foster international outreach.
The second international highlight session, “Education and Training Challenges in the US and Germany, addressed the challenge of surgical education from different perspectives. Dr. Turner outlined the spectrum of support that can be expected from the ACS and stimulated the interesting discussion as co-chair.
From Germany, Hanno Matthaei, MD, of Bonn presented the young surgeon’s perspective. Beate Rau, MD, PhD, of Berlin gave her view on gender-specific aspects looking back at her own career steps.
Dr. Ford concluded the session with an impressive analysis on “Educating the Next Generation of Physicians and Surgeons: A New Paradigm.” He described new models of training and especially mentoring derived from his position as dean and chief academic officer of the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, where he has focused on developing the next generation of surgeon leaders. He advocated a team approach for best advice as early as possible in career by a next generation curriculum taskforce. Dr. Ford made clear that a disruptive development would be needed now to improve the quality of surgical education.
It was a pleasure and a historical highlight for the ACS Germany Chapter to confer the newly established Honorary Membership of the ACS Germany Chapter to the founding Governor Hans-Jürgen Peiper, professor emeritus and chairman of surgery at the University of Göttingen. He is an esteemed senior colleague who continues to attend Annual Congress at the age of 98.
This year’s Annual Congress of the German Society of Surgery was truly outstanding due to the stimulating exchange with our US-guests and friends. In turbulent times, we must stand together in international friendship to cope with the challenges beyond surgery. The close interaction between the ACS and the German Society of Surgery provides an excellent platform.
Ernst Klar, MD, FACS
ACS Governor and President of the ACS Germany Chapter
