New Record Number of Participants

The Annual Congress on General Thoracic Surgery took place from May 31 to June 3, 2009 at the Auditorium Maximum of the Jagellonian University in Krakow.

Internationally renowned specialists in the field of thorax surgery from Europe and overseas, presented current results and newest findings in basic science, clinical treatment and thoracic surgery.

During the Techno Meeting, the industry was provided with a platform to present the most recent technological innovations concerning thoracic surgery.

The congress was started with a common Postgraduate-symposium of the American and European Societies for Thoracic Surgery, which offered lectures by international experts on current topics in different fields of thoracic surgery.

During the official congress opening (at the Auditorium Maximum), participants had a chance to engage in scientific, professional as well as personal exchange. Apart from the classical organ concert in the gothic Mary's Basilica with its famous "Veit Stoss Altar", the Gala Dinner at the "Wieliczka  salt mine" near Krakow, which has been declared a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site, was another social highlight. It provided a spectacular finale for a congress which broke new ground with more than 700 participants.

The historical city of Krakow, seat of Poland's Kings for many centuries, offered its visitors numerous sights and a large number of musea, restaurants and charming hotels. Participants greatly appreciated the high scientific standard and the smooth organisation of the congress as well as the successful cross between old (town) and new (conference venue).

After Bologna in 2008 and Krakow in 2009, the historical university city of Valladolid in Spain will follow, in an effort to stay true to the principle of venue rotation within Europe.

"For the past 3 years, the Annual Congress on General Thoracic Surgery has, in collaboration with Mondial, developed into the most renowned congress on thorax surgery world-wide. This is due in particular to our objective and rigorous assessment system, which has received praise from colleagues all across the world.

The positive developments regarding scientific quality, interconnectedness as well as the strong growth in members have not gone unnoticed by the industry.  Thus, ESTS can count on a large number of industry partners, who have already shown great interest in the Valladolid meeting."

Quote Prof. Michael R. Müller, president of ESTS