AMASICON-2005 discusses mechanism, prevention and management of MAS

EPP News Bureau - New Delhi

AMASICON 2005 was a benchmark event in minimal access surgery. It had the best experts from an international spectrum performing cutting edge surgery, telecast live to a big audience," said Dr Arvind Kumar, professor of surgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and organising secretary of the conference, on the occasion of the International Conference of the Association of Minimal Access Surgeons of India (AMASI) hosted by AIIMS recently.

The theme of this conference was "Minimal Access Surgery (MAS) in the service of MASSES". The conference covered MAS in general surgery, GI surgery, urology, oncology, gynaecology, paediatric surgery, thoracoscopy and vascular surgery. AMASI is an official arm of the Association of Surgeons of India formed in October 2003 to catch up with minimal access surgery revolution and promote the skills among surgeons in India.

The conference-cum-live workshop was the first of its kind in the world, which was attended by about 2,600 delegates from across the country and also from neighbouring countries.

Fifteen internationally acclaimed experts from various countries around the world performed live operations. These live operation workshops were telecast to the audience in nine different locations.

Professor Michael Gagner and Professor H Asbun did live surgery demo via two-way video-conferencing from the USA in obesity surgery for the first time in India. Besides this, Professor Giullianotti from Italy performed robotic surgery and Professor Ralph Kolvenbach from Germany performed aortic aneurysm surgery and conducted a live workshop in the country for the first time.

There were also special sessions on cost reduction strategies, training and credentialing in MAS. Two hands on training courses for training the delegates in the practical aspects of the MAS were also conducted, which were Basic Laparoscopic Skills Course, Laparoscopic Suturing, Knotting and stapling course.

The conference covered digital photography skills for surgeons (with special emphasis on clinical photography), video editing technology for surgeons and enhancing the quality of presentation (the world of word and the power of power point) in the form of short courses.The next conference would be held at Hyderabad in 2007.