Presidential Welcome
Dear Members and Guests,
Another year has passed since our last annual meeting in Essen. Birmingham was elected as the host city of the 21st European Conference on General Thoracic Surgery, currently the largest scientific meeting in the world discussing topics on general thoracic surgery only. We expect an attendance around 1000 participants coming from all over the world and from all continents.
The programme committee chaired by our Director of the Annual Meeting, Jaroslaw Kuzdzal is preparing an exciting programme with invited lectures by top experts in the field to fill the breakfast sessions, techno meeting, working group sessions, and joint sessions with other international and European scientific societies. We are expecting again around 600 abstracts for selection in 2 rounds of blind review. A programme will be composed with various parallel sessions including the top quality of submitted abstracts so you can pick those sessions of your particular interest. The ESTS prizes are waiting for the winners of the best presentation in their category. The 5th joint collaborative postgraduate symposium chaired by our local host, David Waller will follow last year’s successful formula with interesting case presentations on various topics of our speciality. An international faculty will compete in the “Masters Court” by discussing the best treatment option for the individual case. We need to get the Masters Cup of Thoracic Surgery finally back to Europe!
The European Society was founded in Heidelberg on 18th November 1993. So, in Birmingham in 2013 we will celebrate the 20th Anniversary of our Society! A special occasion for a special invited lecture given by Peter Goldstraw, one of the founders and honorary members of ESTS. He will look back on the evolution of science in General Thoracic Surgery over the past 20 years. A very special moment to pay tribute to the founders and leaders of our society and to bring a toast to them at this memorial moment. The birthday cake is being prepared!
Why come to Birmingham, the second largest city in the United Kingdom? A truly international city, within easy reach of one of the country's main international airports, the UK's largest interchange rail station and a motorway network that connects the International Convention Centre to every part of the UK and beyond. You will find out when visiting the city why Birmingham is close to my heart, the place where I got my training in general thoracic surgery at the former East Birmingham Hospital (Heartlands) under the leadership of Hugoe Matthews, Deirdre Watson and Frank Collins. The Local
Organizing Committee has prepared an attractive social programme for guests and accompanying persons to discover the city and the region.
I would like to especially thank our industrial partners who have supported ESTS faithfully since the beginning of our conferences. The exhibition space welcomes you to discover their new products and technology helping to advance our speciality and to give the best care to our patients.
The annual meeting is a unique opportunity for our young members to discuss challenges in daily work with more experienced colleagues and to reinforce friendship with those not seen for a long time.
Make plans to come to Birmingham next year to recharge your thoracic batteries. I am confident that you will return with a congress bag full of top knowledge, great ideas, and new friends.
Dirk Van Raemdonck, MD, PhD, FETCS
ESTS President
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