Minute of the EFSM Council Meeting and General Delegates Assembly, May 7, 2018 - 16:30-19:00, Hyatt Hotel, Belgrade, Serbia
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
SECRETARY GENERAL
Alexandru Georgescu:
geordv@hotmail.comSECRETARY GENERAL ELECT
Alex Muset:
dr.muset@musetinstitute.orgIMMEDIATE PAST GENERAL SECRETARY
Bruno Battiston:
bruno.battiston@virgilio.itPRESIDENT
Marko Bumbasirevic:
marko.bumbasirevic@gmail.comTREASURER
Ileana Matei:
irmatei@yahoo.comHISTORIAN
Panayotis Soucacos:
psoukakos@ath.forthnet.grNATIONAL DELEGATES
DENMARK
Christian Bonde:
ctbonde@gmail.comGete Ester Toft:
gete@dadlnet.dkFINLAND
Erkki Tukiainen:
erkki.tukiainen@hus.fiFRANCE
Philippe Valenti:
philippe.valenti@wanadoo.frGREECE
Efterpi Demiri:
depydemiri@googlemail.comITALY
Pierluigi Tos:
pierluigi.tos@unito.itPOLAND
M. Breborowicz:
mbreborowicz@gmail.comROMANIA
Ileana Matei:
irmatei@yahoo.comSERBIA
Marko Bumbasirevic:
marko.bumbasirevic@gmail.comSPAIN
Alex Muset:
dr.muset@musetinstitute.orgSWEDEN
Ann-Charlott Docherty Skogh:
anna.docherty-skogh@sll.seTURKEY
Tackin Ozalp:
tackino@yahoo.frOmer Ozkan:
omozkan@gmail.comASSOCIATE SOCIETIES
SLOVENIA
Albin Stritar:
albin.stritar@amis.netCORRESPONDING SOCIETIES
EGYPT
Tarek El-Gammal:
tarek_elgammal@yahoo.comLEBANON
Bechara Atieh:
bechara.atieh@gmail.comPERMANENT COMMITTEES CHAIRMEN:
International Relations Committee
Kadir Bacakoglu:
info@kadirbacakoglu.comEducation and Training Committee
Jaume Masia:
JMasia@santpau.catResearch Committee
Stefano Geuna:
stefano.geuna@unito.itClinical Committee
Lucian Jiga:
jigalucian@gmail.comStart of the Meeting at 16:30
Call to order and establishment of quorum
Present
- A. Georgescu (Romania - General Secretary)
- A. Muset (Spain - General Secretary Elect, Spanish delegate)
- I. Matei (Treasurer, Romanian delegate)
- P. Soucacos (Greece - Historian)
- S. Geuna (Italy - Chairman of the Research Committee)
- A. Beris (Greece delegate)
- P. Tos (Italy delegate)
- T. Ozalp (Turkey delegate)
- E. Tukiainen (Finish delegate)
- M. Bumbasirevic (Serbian delegate)
- A-Ch Docherty-Skogh (Swedish delegate)
- B. Battiston (Immediate Past General Secretary)
- P. Czarnecki (Poland delegate)
- Venkat Ramakrishnan (UK delegate)
- A. Stritar (Slovenia delegate)
- J-N Goubier (France delegate)
- L. Jiga (Germany-Chairman of the Clinical Committee)
- Amir Ibrahim (Lebanon delegate)
Absent:
- J. Masia (Spain-Chairman of the Education and Training Committee)
- G. E. Toft (Denmark delegate)
Appologies:
- K. Bacakoglu (Turkey - Chairman of the International Relations Committee)
- J. Masia (Spain-Chairman of the Education and Training Committee)
- C. Bonde (Denmark delegate)
I. The EFSM Delegates' General Assembly Minute, Cluj - Napoca 2017 was submitted to vote and was unanimously approved.
II. A. Georgescu gave a short report about the activity of the Federation during the last year:
A. He noted that the EFSM ExCo meeting in Cluj Napoca, Romania, with the occasion of the Congress of the Romanian Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery (RSRM), on April 26, was a real success, giving members the opportunity to have constructive discussions and decision making. He also specified that it proved to be very constructive to organize the EFSM Council Meeting once a year, not only with the occasion of the Congresses.
B. Even if the communication with the societies was better than before, still there are some societies which react very slow. Bumbasirevic proposed to create a group on a network like Whats App in order to communicate faster.
C. Not all member societies paid their fees for the EFSM and urged them to make adequate provisions to balance their dues.
D. Regarding the proposed modifications in EFSM Bylaws circulated by mail, there were only a few answers:
- for the previous Secretary General to remain for all the following 4 years as a member in the EFSM Council
- for the WSRM Council, nowadays the Secretary General is the representative of the EFSM. For the specific situation occurred in the previous WSRM meeting, when Georgescu wasn't able to participate, according to WSRM bylaws, he delegated Bumbasirevic to represent ESFM in the WSRM Council. Battiston said that, for these situations, the ExCo should choose the person who will represent EFSM in that meeting. Muset did not agree, saying that only the Secretary General knows everything, but Battiston said that it would have to be one of the ExCo members, able to match the 2 duties. These proposals were submitted to vote and were approved unanimously.
E. He noted also that the EFSM Congress in Belgrade promises to be a real success, with a very good participation, high scientific and social level, very good fees, free registration and accomodation for the residents and accomplishment prizes awarded for the best oral and poster presentations done by residents. He considered that will be very good to continue to organize the EFSM Congresses in the same manner in the future. He invited Bumbasirevic to give a short report. Bumbasirevic mentioned the following:
- Very complex scientific program and huge number of participants:
- 780 participants from 43 countries
- 250 Faculty
- 700 talks
- 56 scientific sessions
- 18 Instructional Courses
- 4 Video sessions
- 17 conferences
- free papers
- electronic posters
- WSRM Pre congress Symposium under the chairmanship of Isao Koshima, WSRM President, including 3 main sessions on Lymphatics, Perforator Flaps, and Reconstruction-Cadaveric-Bionic
- For the first time in the history of EFSM:
- Introduction of the “European Legend of Microsurgery Lecture”. The lectures were done by Alain Gilbert, Piero Raimondi, and Panayotis Soucacos. Giorgio Brunelli had to give the fourth Lecture, but unfortunately he was not able to attend. All these four personalities were awarded for their contribution to European and World Microsurgery.
- Oral and poster presentations contest for residents; the best 3 free papers and 3 posters were awarded by the EFSM (free papers) and SSRM (posters).
- Best Case contest
- Best save contest
- For residents:
- free registration and accommodation
- very basic hands on microsurgery course, organized with the help of Panayotis Soucacos, Alex Beris and Markus Spingler (S&T), with 71 participants
- Publication of an Instructional Course Book: Technical Tips & Tricks for Reconstructive Microsurgery: How I do it.
- Publication of a special of Injury dedicated to the EFSM Congress
Georgescu said that 10% of the Belgrade EFSM congress registration fees will be given to the Federation.
F. Even if the communication with the societies was better than before, still there are some societies which react very slow. In this regard, Georgescu took into discussion the following problems related to some Societies:
- He said that the German Speaking Group disappeared completely from the activities of the EFSM after the Congress in Barcelona. EFSM responded positive in the EFSM Council Meeting in Barcelona to their willing to change in the Bylaws the number of members in the Council/ numbers of members in the society (3 delegates), but after modifying the Bylaws according with their wish, they were no more interesting in the activities of the Federation. Georgescu presented the letter received from the German Group, in which they declare their resignation from the EFSM. So, it was voted and agreed unanimously that German Speaking Group should be asked about their willing to continue as EFSM member and, function of their decision, to decide in the next ExCo their situation.
DEUTSCHSPRACHIGE ARBEITSGEMEINSCHAFT FÜR MIKROCHIRURGIE DER PERIPHEREN NERVEN UND GEFÄSSE
Prof. Alexandru Georgescu
Chairman of EFMS
Vorsitzender: Prof. Dr. D.J. Schaefer, Basel
Sekretär: Prof. Dr. M. Lehnhardt, Bochum
Kassenführer: Prof. Dr. U. Kneser, Ludwigshafen
Beirat:
- Prof. Dr. H. Bannasch, Freiburg
- Dr. A. Gohritz, Basel
- Prof. Dr. Y. Harder, Lugano
- Prof. Dr. C. Hirche, Ludwigshafen
- Prof. Dr. R. Horch, Erlangen
- Prof. Dr. G. Pierer, Innsbruck
- Prof. Dr. C. Radtke, Wien
- Prof. Dr. B. Rieck, Hildesheim
E-mail: info@dam-mikrochirurgie.org
The General Assembly of DAM (German-speaking working group for microsurgery of the peripheral nerves and vessels) has decided on November 17th, 2017 to resign from the EFSM. We would like to point out, that this is not a decision against the European Federation of Microsurgery, but pro our own DAM organization. We want to concentrate on our tasks in the areas of guidelines and treatment recommendations, science and education in German-speaking countries.
On behalf of the members of the DAM I hereby terminate the membership in the EFSM on December 31, 2017.
With best regards
And best wishes for a successful EFSM meeting
![](images/charte/semn-schaefer.jpg)
Prof. Dirk Schaefer
President DAM
Muset said that he will talk to them in Genova and Geuna thought that, in the future, maybe the new representatives will be more willing to participate.
- Poland situation was discussed and Czarnecki said that in about 2 weeks there would be concrete legalization of the society who participates in EFSM.
- Slovenia has a long-standing microsurgical tradition, but does not have an officially constituted microsurgery group/society. Georgescu said that a deadline should be given: up to the next Council Meeting they should demonstrate legal forms for a society, to be member in the EFSM.
G. Georgescu mentioned that, after Egypt, another country presented its candidacy to become a Corresponding member of the EFSM: Lebanon. Because this candidacy was already circulated to all the members, the proposal was submitted to a vote and unanimously agreed.
H. After being removed as members from EFSM in 2014, UK reorganized a viable microsurgical group through Venkat Ramakrishnan efforts and commitment. UK reapplied for membership in 2016 and is now again a full member of the Federation. Everybody congratulated UK.
I. Georgescu mentioned about the correspondence with Ireland, which declared their wish to apply for EFSM membership. Ireland does not have a society yet, but is trying to create and organize one. Ramakrishnan offered to communicate directly with them and to give feedback to the Council if the Irish Society will join the UK society in EFSM or if they prefer to be a separate entity.
J. Not all member societies paid their fees for the EFSM. Georgescu urged them to make adequate provisions to balance their dues.
K. Finally, Georgescu asked Soucacos to help in compiling the History.
III. Committees' activity:
Georgescu said the committees should become more active in developing some programs. Until now it was not enough feedback and will be necessary to start their activities and to be in contact with each other and with all societies.
Research Committee:
Geuna presented his report and asked for members names from every society, which would be interested in getting involved in experimental and research.
Clinical Committee:
Jiga presented his report and also asked for support in organizing Structure (asking members names), Standardization (evidence based data on scaphoid treatment), Training Courses under EFSM endorsement.
Education and Training Committee:
It was noted that Masia is not present, he sent no report and that the Council don't know anything about his activity. Battiston proposed that Bumbasirevic should take his place, but Muset opposed this proposal. Finally it was decided that should be some discussions on this topic and that maybe will be better to have two committees, one chaired by Bumbasirevic and the other by Masia. The final decision will be in the next Council Meeting.
IV. News from Socities:
- Tos asked for the EFSM's support for the advanced microsurgery course he is organizing, which was unanimously agreed.
- Tos asked for the EFSM's support for the advanced microsurgery course he is organizing, which was unanimously agreed.
V. Georgescu presented the next EFSM congress in Cluj Napoca, Romania, in 2020
VI. Tos presented the 2022 proposal for the Congress in Milan, which was accepted.
VII. Next EFSM Council Meeting: Proposals included Spanish Congress, Bologna within the WSRM congress or Florence. Proposals were submitted to vote, and was decided to organize the next Council Meeting in Bologna, during the WSRM Congress.
VIII. Georgescu said that his mandate as Secretary General closes and congratulated Muset for the beginning of his mandate.
Matei announced her resignation as Treasurer.
Romania's new delegate will be Alex Nistor.
Finally, Georgescu asked Muset to be in contact with him in the attempt to finalize the details for the authority transfer.
The meeting was adjourned at 19.00.