SAGES Takes Minimal Access Surgery Global International broadcasts from SAGES meeting will advance surgical techniques world-wide.

Dallas, TX, April 26, 2006 – The Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) takes minimal access surgery global at the 2006 Surgical Spring Week Meeting to be held at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas Texas, April 26-29, 2006.

SAGES, the U.S.'s largest surgical organization dedicated to endoscopic and gastrointestinal surgery will be providing surgeons world-wide, opportunities to learn advanced surgical techniques and provide this care to their patients. Surgeons representing more than 50 countries will attend the annual meeting and two broadcasts transmitted to three continents will provide for even more real-time international participation and interaction.

SAGES will broadcast two of its educational sessions internationally. On Wednesday, April 26, 2006 and Saturday, April 29, 2006 a series of minimally edited videos of surgeries performed by the worlds leading laparoscopic surgeons will be broadcast live to audiences in Greater China (Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong), Italy and Colombia. Each surgeon will be on hand to narrate the video live and address questions from the international participants from medical facilities worldwide.

“Advancements in minimally invasive surgery techniques have improved the lives of thousands of patients throughout the United States,” said Dr. Daniel Deziel, SAGES President. “SAGES is making it a priority to help bring surgeons from around the world together to share their experiences and continue to improve the care of patients globally.”

The 2006 SAGES Annual Meeting will be held at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, Texas, April 26-29, 2006 and will include multiple educational components that will advance minimally invasive surgery world wide. All three broadcasts will be open to the press. For more information about the SAGES Annual meeting please visit the SAGES web site www.sages.org.

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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