Per J. Nilsson, ESCP President, looks ahead to this year's annual meeting in Vienna
What is most exciting about the forthcoming ESCP Annual Meeting in September in Austria?
The ESCP Annual Meeting is a highlight in the international colorectal surgery calendar. The Nice meeting last September was our best to date but we will not rest on our laurels. We plan to keep up the momentum and ensure Vienna is an even greater event - providing a strong programme, excellent training opportunities and, crucially, the chance to participate and gain insights from peers from around the world.
This year’s conference sees our return to Vienna - one of Europe’s most impressive cities. When we were last there for the 2012 meeting, 1,200 delegates attended compared to over 1,800 delegates from over 70 countries who attended the Nice conference in 2018. We are very excited for what 2019 may bring in this most appealing and accessible of cities; we urge you not to miss it! The programme is set to be filled with high-profile coloproctology speakers discussing the latest research and techniques in the field over the course of three days.
Which exciting sessions should delegates look forward to seeing this year?
There are so many names and topics that I personally find extremely interesting. If I’m pushed to choose a few it would be the international trials results forum, the best publications of the year, the keynote on prehabilitation from Tonia Young-Fadok and the symposium on locally advanced colon cancer.
The ESCP annual meeting is renowned for providing valuable training opportunities – what is planned for Vienna?
This year we will provide many interesting workshops and hands-on courses that are aimed at experienced surgeons as well as trainees. These courses will provide insights into the latest research and techniques in the field.
New for this year is a course on ‘Vac assisted management of the open abdomen and anastomotic leaks’. This skills lab is reserved for 16 participants aimed at surgeons with an established practice in colorectal surgery and senior colorectal trainees/fellows.
There is also a workshop on the 11th Anorectal & Pelvic Floor Ultrasound (US), which offers the opportunity to gain practical experience in the use of US and gives insights into image interpretation. The hands-on course about the advancement in fistula surgery returns this year. The course does not only entail classic treatment modalities for fistulas, but also allows for hands-on practice of the latest status in treatment modalities right there during the course.
And don’t forget that the meeting offers the chance to take the EBSQ examination to further enhance your qualifications. The examinations will be held on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 September 2019.
Apart from that, participants can look forward to a multitude of interesting symposiums on varied topics such as ileal pouch options and strategies for managing locally advanced colonic cancer.
What’s good about the venue chosen to host the conference this year?
ESCP's Annual Meeting will take place in the Austria Center Vienna, the largest conference centre in Austria. It is conveniently located, close to the Danube and the Donaupark and only seven minutes away from the city centre by metro. This gives you the chance, to fully enjoy the amazing experiences Vienna has to offer. You can take in the cities beautiful architecture and historical sites, from St. Stephen’s Cathedral to the old gymnasium of the famous Empress Sissi, or enjoy a scenic cruise on the Danube, seeing the city from a different viewpoint.
Why should you attend?
Everyone involved in ESCP has worked hard to put together another exciting and thought-provoking programme, filled with highly educational symposia, keynote lectures and hands-on courses. However, the participants lie at the heart of every ESCP event. Their presentations, abstracts and discussions are what makes each conference a valuable experience. Therefore, the ESCP gives you not only the opportunity to keep up to date with the cutting-edge of research and innovation in the coloproctology field, but also provides many invaluable opportunities to meet and discuss with other colorectal surgeons from across the world.
Find out more and register for the ESCP 14th Annual Meeting in Vienna 25-27 September 2019 here