“There is no area of the world that should not be investigated by scientists. There will always remain some questions that have not been answered. In general, these are the questions that have not yet been posed.”
-Linus Paulding
Although spoken by a chemist, these words ring true for all areas of science new and old, including the field of neurosurgery. Every year, neurosurgeons from around the globe attend the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) Annual Scientific Meeting looking to complement their research with developments from North America and around the world. The meeting provides an opportunity for international neurosurgeons to leave with answers to their questions and to fuel their continued research. They also leave behind shared experiences, questions and cases for other neurosurgeons to contemplate.
The 2016 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting in Chicago was no exception, welcoming 800 international attendees from 82 different countries outside of North America. The largest delegations in attendance hailed from Brazil, China, Japan, Taiwan, Colombia and Germany. “The thing that really impressed me about the meeting is that people are coming not only from the U.S., but from all around the world,” said Prabin Shrestha, MD, PhD, neurosurgeon from Nepal.
International Collaborating Societies
Record international attendance is not possible without the efforts of the AANS’ collaborating societies. The collaborating societies help inspire those in the field of neurosurgery around the globe to attend the AANS Annual Scientific Meeting every year. This year, the Federación Latinoamericana de Sociedades de Neurocirugía (FLANC) and the Pan Arab Neurosurgical Society (PANS) supported the meeting by bringing along approximately 240 colleagues collectively.
President of FLANC, Edgardo Spagnuolo, MD, and his wife, Elizabeth Johnston, who is also a neurosurgeon, attended the meeting, traveling from their home in Uruguay. Dr. Spagnuolo was recognized for his contributions to neurosurgery worldwide as the 2016 AANS International Lifetime Recognition Award Recipient and spoke before those in attendance at the Plenary II session on Tuesday, May 3, about the joy he takes in seeing Latin American neurosurgeons once again engaging in international neurosurgery.
At the beginning of his remarks, Dr. Spagnuolo dedicated his award to all FLANC neurosurgeons. He explained, “For many decades, we have been working very hard in our continent, trying to do our very best in neurosurgery without extending this work outside of Latin America… In the last 10 years, a group of neurosurgeons began working with federations and associations outside of our continent. We have received a wonderful welcome, especially from the European Association of Neurological Surgeons (EANS) and the AANS.” Dr. Spagnuolo will entrust this continued work to another FLANC leader after the Latin American continental society’s CLAN Congress in Cancun, Mexico, October 30 – November 4, 2016, when he completes his presidential term.
The President of PANS, Amr El Shawarby, MD, was also in attendance at the meeting with his colleagues from the Pan Arab region. He has taken a pause from his work of reestablishing the Pan Arab Journal of Neurosurgery and creating annual education programs in different fields of neurosurgery to focus on another goal he has set for his organization: improving collaborations between PANS, the AANS and other international societies.
International Symposium
Each of these individuals, along with their society leadership, has helped to bring together the most successful International Symposium to date. This year’s program was extended to two full days of presentations and incorporated many more areas of neurosurgery than before.
In total, there were 47 speakers from 15 different countries that presented between Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1, with various hundreds of attendees circulating in and out of the sessions. “The meeting as usual was very interesting and educational. I have to say that my favorite part of the meeting was the International Symposium,” said Edward Oluwole Komolafe, MD, IFAANS, neurosurgeon from Nigeria.
Planning for next year’s International Symposium is already in the works, and the Asian Australasian Society of Neurological Surgeons (AASNS), along with the EANS, will partner with the AANS Scientific Program Committee to make it the best ever.
International Board Liaisons
While the FLANC and the PANS societies have helped to provide superb scientific programming, there were other important representatives in attendance at the 2016 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting. All five of the continental societies were present at the AANS Board of Directors’ meeting along with important global organizations.
In attendance were Basant Misra, MD, President of AASNS; Graham Fieggen, MD, President of the Continental Association of African Neurosurgical Societies (CAANS); J. Andre Grotenhuis, MD, President of EANS; Yong-Kwang Tu, MD, and Franco Servadei, MD, President and President-elect, respectively, of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS); as well as Walter Johnson, MD, of the World Health Organization (WHO).
The AANS is thankful for their participation in the Board of Directors’ Meeting and the Annual Scientific Meeting as they bring thorough knowledge of their region to the conversation and enrich AANS’ knowledge of the world of neurosurgery.
Everyone celebrated a successful international turnout alongside the International Board Liaisons and AANS leadership at the International Reception held in the Preston-Bradley Room at the Chicago Cultural Center. Conversation was spirited against the backdrop of a string trio and under the historic Tiffany-domed ceiling, the largest Tiffany glass dome in the world.
International Booth Resource Center
The International Booth, located in the AANS Resource Center, served as a resource to international attendees throughout the meeting. Various international attendees were able to get questions answered about AANS membership, and many current international members stopped by to ask questions or just say hello. “I was impressed by the magnitude of the whole meeting. The number of practical courses, scientific sessions, lectures and exhibiting companies was great. Five days was not enough to see and experience all that the meeting had to offer. I can’t wait to attend the next meeting,” said Blazej Nowak, MD, resident from Poland. It was a pleasure to see everyone, and staff looks forward to seeing more new and familiar faces next year at the 2017 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting, taking place in Los Angeles.
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