On occasion of the “ESPRAS – A Day in Paris” meeting at the 68^th SOFCPRE Congress November 21^st 2024

Eric Sorrel Dejerine, president of the Société Française de Chirurgie Plastique, Reconstructrice & Esthétique (SOFCPRE) and Jacques Saboye Secretary General of the French society (www.sofcpre.fr) have organized the 68^th Annual Meeting from November 21^st to 23^rd 2024 at the Beffroi de Montrouge in Paris. More than 800 participants joined the meeting in the beautiful congress hall in the south of Paris. The European Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Societies (ESPRAS) Society has organized a full day scientific program on Friday November 21^st. After the ESPRAS meeting “A Day in Sarajevo” in September 2024 this was the second meeting in this format [1]. ESPRAS contributes regularly with sessions on specific topics or with full day events to national societies and also supports speakers, so to promote and foster academic exchange in Plastic Surgery throughout Europe. The author of this report was asked in his role as president to ESPRAS to be the cochair together with Jacques Saboye for the full day scientific meeting ([Fig. 1]).

Fig. 1 Announcement of the “ESPRAS – A Day in Paris” at the 68^th Annual Meeting Société Française de Chirurgie Plastique, Reconstructrice & Esthétique (SOFCPRE).

“ESPRAS – A Day in Paris” included four sessions on the hot topics: “Breast Reconstruction”, “Problems with Breast Implants”, “Facial Rejuvenation” and “Advances in Microsurgery”. We have to thank 27 Keynote speakers from 10 different European countries for their excellent contributions ([Table 1])!

Table 1 27 Keynote speakers from 10 different European countries.

Name	Country
Giovanni Botti	Italy
Krishna Clough	France
Horacio Costa	Portugal
Benoit Couturaud	France
Adrien Daigeler	Germany
Emaulel Delay	France
Cenk Demirdöver	Turkey
Bernard Devauchelle	France
Anna Elander	Sweden
Uwe von Fritschen	Germany
Riccardo Giunta	Germany
Per Heden	Sweden
Marco Innocenti	Italy
Laurent Lantieri	France
Claude Le Louarn	France
Nicholas Leymarie	France
Alexandre Marchac	France
Jaume Masia	Spain
Nicholas Möllhoff	Germany
Radu Olariu	Switzerland
Muhammad Riaz	UK
Edoardo Rodriguez	USA
Fabio Santanelli di Pompeo	Italy
Patrick Tonnard	Belgium
Silvie Testelin	France
Patrick Trevidic	France
Felix Vollbach	Germany

Although heavy snow falls limited the air traffic arrival of both speakers and participants, more than 200 participants joined the ESPRAS sessions at the meeting, exchanged knowledge in Plastic Surgery and contributed with questions and comments to the success of this event. Some presentation had to be virtual. Despite these limitations at some point, the lecture theatre had to be closed due to overcrowding ([Fig. 2]). At the social dinner at the Musee de la Chasse ESPRAS had the opportunity to thank president Eric Sorrel Dejerine and secretary general Jacques Saboye of SOFCPRE for their excellent cooperation ([Fig. 3]).

Fig. 2 a Overcrowded lecture hall at “ESPRAS – A Day in Paris”. b Round table discussion on problems with breast implants with Fabio Santanelli di Pompeo from Italy, Jacques Saboye from France, Riccardo Giunta and Nicholas Möllhoff from Germany (from left to right).

Fig. 3 ESPRAS thanks SOCPRE president Eric Sorrel Dejerine a and secretary general Jacques Saboye b together with Riccardo Giunta for the opportunity and excellent cooperation in organizing “A Day in Paris”.

On Saturday, November 23^rd 2024 the ESPRAS council of delegates meeting ([Fig. 4]) with elections for the new term and the vote for changes of the ESPRAS bylaws took place. The new bylaws were ratified and the new ExCo elected ([Table 2]). With 6 newly elected ExCo members we welcome more than half of new representatives of national societies. This allows to keep continuity and also ensures renewal and rejuvenation of the committee. We are very thankful to Anna Elander from Sweden who served since 2018 in the ExCo and as a Secretary General in last the term. We do also thank Giovanni di Benedetto from Italy, Mathias Rab from Austria, Janis Gillies from Latvia and Davor Mijatovic from Croatia for their continuous support and commitment for ESPRAS. All of them have the option to remain in the ExCo WhatsApp Group and to continue to give input to EPSRAS in the ExCo meetings.

Fig. 4 ESPRAS meeting of delegates with (from left to right) Dirk Schaefer (Siwtzerland), Reuf Karabeg (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Cenk Demirdöver (Turkey), Mark Henley (UK), Riccardo Giunta (Germany), Ilkka Kaartinen (Finland) Jacques Saboye (France) Giovanni di Benedetto (Italy), Anna Elander (Sweden), Adrien Daigeler (Germany).

Table 2 The Executive Committee (ExCo) for the 2023/2024 term of office is shown in the left-hand column. Outgoing members are shown in italics. The 10 members of the ESPRAS ExCo for the 2024/2025 term of office are listed in the right-hand column. The new members are shown in bold.

ExCo 2023/2024	New ExCo 2025/2026
Giovanni di Benedetto (Italy, South-West)	Cesare Tiengo (Italy, South-West)
Cenk Demirdöver (Turkey, South-East)	Cenk Demirdöver (Turkey, South-East)
Anna Elander (Sweden, North)	Ilkka Kaartinen (Finland, North)
Nuno Fradinho (Portugal, South-West)	Nuno Fradinho (Portugal, South-West)
Janis Gillies (Latvia, Central East)	Cristian Jecan (Romania, Central East)
Riccardo Giunta (Germany, West)	Riccardo Giunta (Germany, West)
Mark Henley (UK, West)	Mark Henley (UK, West)
Davor Mijatovic (Croatia, South East)	Reuf Karabeg (Bosnia&Herzegovina, South East)
Matthias Rab (Austria, Central East)	Dolores Wolfram-Raunicher (Austria, Central East)
Dirk Schaefer (Switzerland, West)	Jacques Saboye (France, West)

New president is Mark Henley from UK who is since 2018 part of ESPRAS ExCo and has served as president of one of the biggest societies in Europe, the British BAPRAS. Hence, he has enormous experience in guiding a big society. Dirk Schaefer from Switzerland was elected as vice president. He will organize the ESPRAS quadrennial congress in September 2024 in Bern, Switzerland. Cenk Demirdöver from Turkey was elected Secretary General for the next term. He is also member of the ExCo since 2018.

As the immediate past president to ESPRAS I would like to thank the excellent Board of Directors with Mark Henley, Anna Elander and Dirk Schaefer together with the extraordinary strong and effective ExCo 2023/2024 and also all representatives of National Societies for their strong support during my term of office. It was a privilege to serve the European Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Societies as president!

We all hope that we can further promote European Plastic Surgery and gather information from Europe so to share it with all European Plastic Surgeons and their national societies. ESPRAS acts here as a platform that unites all European national societies. Our motto “ESPRAS – Stronger together in Europe!” expresses this perfectly.

Riccardo Giunta and Jacques Saboye

December 2024

on behalf of the ESPRAS Executive Committee (ExCo)

• References

• 1 Giunta RE. On occasion of the "ESPRAS – A day in Sarajevo" meeting at the 13^th BAFPRAS Congress. Handchir Mikrochir Plast Chir 2024; 56: 468-469 Epub 2024 Nov 18.

Publikationsverlauf

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
03. März 2025