This coming April 30 – May 1, Chicago will see a formidable collaboration at the 2016 American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) Annual Scientific Meeting. The AANS will be collaborating with the Federación Latinoamericana de Sociedades de Neurocirugia (FLANC). This association serves as the continental society for 23 neurosurgical societies throughout Latin America.
This collaboration started at the 2015 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting in Washington D.C., where leaders from both organizations met to outline the year ahead. In July 2015, leaders from the AANS joined FLANC for their spirited Interim Meeting in Bógota, Colombia. In Chicago, various members of FLANC will be in attendance at the 2016 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting, and 27 of their members will be featured in the International Symposium.
The President of FLANC, Edgardo Spagnuolo, MD, will be attending this year’s annual meeting as an International Symposium speaker and an international board liaison. He is encouraging neurosurgeons, both young and experienced, to attend the meeting as it is “an important place to improve their knowledge and learn about updates in the field of neurosurgery.” Dr. Spagnuolo is looking forward to this being one more step in building a strong relationship between the AANS and FLANC.
Dr. Spagnuolo’s two-year term will end this year in October at the Congreso Latinoamericano de Neurocirugía in Cancún, México. One of the biggest accomplishments of his administration has been the certification of resident training centers, now numbering 21, and a compensated fellowship program for residents and young neurosurgeons within the region. Outside of FLANC, he is proud of the collaborative efforts with the AANS and imagines that this legacy of collaboration will continue on with the next FLANC president.
Remember to attend the International Symposium April 30-May 1 to hear Dr. Spagnuolo present on the Role of Aneurysm Clipping in Uruguay.
Additionally, the AANS is looking forward to welcoming the Pan Arab Neurosurgical Society (PANS) to the 2016 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting. PANS is comprised of 22 societies from the Middle East region. The president of PANS, Amr El Shawarby, MD, will also attend the AANS Board of Directors meeting, and five members of this society will be speaking at the International Symposium.
For Dr. El Shawarby, the benefit of collaborating with the AANS is learning about the unified standard of care in the U.S. and working to bring that back to societies in his region. He believes attending the AANS Annual Scientific Meetings is important for exposure to research and is the best way to interact with colleagues. Yet, a very important element, “is learning about new guidelines and quality measures from the U.S. to apply to neurosurgery in your home country.”
Dr. El Shawarby is currently finishing the first year of his term. His main objective now is to reestablish the Pan Arab Journal of Neurosurgery and create annual educational programs after having worked to establish the Pediatric Neurosurgery Chapter of PANS since taking office. He looks forward to further improving the collaborative efforts between the AANS and PANS. AANS leaders attended both the Pan Arab Neurosurgical Society Congress in December 2014 and the Interim Meeting in February 2016 both in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and are looking forward to welcoming PANS leaders and members to Chicago.
Remember to register to attend the International Reception on May 2, from 8:00- 9:00 p.m., which will be held at the Chicago Cultural Center, and meet Dr. El Shawarby along with the other international board liaisons.
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