SAGES Celebrates 25 Years of Advancing Surgical Excellence at Annual Meeting in Dallas, Texas, April 26-29, 2006

Dallas TX, April 3, 2006 — Surgeons, surgeons-in-training and allied health professionals from around the world will join the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, Texas, April 26-29, 2006 for the 2006 Surgical Spring Week.

SAGES is the leading association for the advancement of minimally invasive surgery, endoscopy and emerging technology. This year’s annual meeting is a celebration of SAGES’ 25th Anniversary and will be held in conjunction with the IPEG annual meeting and immediately following the ACS spring meeting.

For 25 years SAGES has been the leader in educating the surgical community in minimal access surgery and flexible endoscopy. The 2006 SAGES meeting will include four hands-on courses, four Postgraduate Courses, 136 scientific podium presentations, 420 posters, 54 special scientific presentations on emerging technologies, two international teleconferences, a technology pavilion, a learning center, two named lectureships, multiple expert panels and a state of the art exhibit hall with more than 100 industry partners.

“The practice of surgery has undergone more radical change in the last quarter of a century than perhaps in any similar period in history,” said Dr. Daniel J. Deziel, SAGES President. “In the 25 years that SAGES has been in existence, it has not only been witness to this evolution but has been the key societal participant in the active dissemination of education, training and practice guidelines and in the safe implementation of new technology for the betterment of patient care.”

SAGES is taking a lead role in the evaluation and advancement of Natural Orifice Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery and is dedicating three components of the SAGES meeting to the topic. The Endoluminal Hands-on Course, the Transgastric surgery panel and translumenal paper session, will address this state-of-the-art surgical technique.

2006 SAGES Meeting Highlights

Key Lectures
Karl Storz Lecture, Richard M. Satava, MD “Surgeon Responsibility in the Age of Advanced Technology”
SAGES Presidential Address, Daniel J. Deziel, MD “The Journey of the Surgeon-Hero”
Gerald Marks Lecture, Gregory V. Stiegmann, MD “Tipping Points and the Future of Surgery”

Post-Graduate Courses

Bariatric Postgraduate Course, Wednesday, April 26, 2006
World-renowned experts in the field of bariatric surgery will provide comprehensive technical demonstrations of all commonly performed laparoscopic bariatric operations and its technical pitfalls in this video based course.

Robotics Postgraduate Course, Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Broad based review of the past, present and future of Robotic Surgery.

Surgeon in the Digital Age Postgraduate Course, Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Award winning, hands-on course designed to teach surgeons about digital video editing.

Colon Postgraduate Course, Thursday, April 27, 2006
Overview of the current status of laparoscopic colorectal surgery, laparoscopic colorectal techniques, modern peri-operative care and tips to avoid complications.

Hands on Courses

SAGES and IPEG Pediatric Fellows Hands-on Course, April 25 and 26, 2006
Designed for pediatric fellows, the course will cover advanced minimally invasive techniques in complex pediatric cases.

Endoluminal Surgery Hands-on Course, Thursday, April 27, 2006
An introduction to present and emerging endoscopic technologies relevant to gastrointestinal surgery.

SAGES/SLS Simulation Hands-on Course, Thursday, April 27, 2006
An overview of the latest simulation technology and its use in the development of a Skills Training Center and hands-on use of a variety of current simulators.
A
dvanced Skills & Laparoscopic Techniques Hands-on Course, Thursday, April 27, 2006
Renowned faculty will teach registrants of the course formal steps to intracorporeal suturing with an opportunity to practice in mirror trainers and expose technologies for dividing, gluing tissue and reinforcing staple lines.

Press Tour Opportunities – Please schedule time

Robotics Postgraduate Course, Wednesday, April 26, 2006 7:30 AM-12:00 PM
SAGES/SLS Simulation Hands-On Course, Thursday, April 27, 2006 7:30 AM – 5:30 PM
2006 Learning Center, Friday, April 28 and Saturday, April 29, 2006 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

More than two decades ago a group of pioneering surgeons formed a new surgical society to address the need for education, guidelines, and research in endoscopy. They embraced emerging technology and new techniques on behalf of their patients. That group of 50 surgeons known as SAGES held their first meeting in Williamsburg in 1986 with 110 attendees and 11 exhibitors. SAGES now boasts over 5,000 members. The organization hosted more than 1,800 surgeon registrants at its last meeting. For more information, please visit www.sages.org.

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