Presidential Message

January 12-15, 2002

Cancun, Mexico

[]The king is dead, long live the king! The rumors of the eventual demise of the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery are significantly premature and definitely over-rated. More precisely, they are dead wrong. As the papers within this month's Journal reveal, the members of our Society have never been so creative and productive. For some years now, I have heard those among us pine over the glory days of the organization. Those halcyon times have been long since buried, when every month seemed to witness a new operative procedure, a significant breakthrough, or an entirely fresh approach to a previously unsolved problem. Despite our best intentions, we had run out of new things to create and, for a highly creative lot, that should have eventually spelled disaster-or so it seemed.

Can you imagine if the framers of our U.S. Constitution and those who followed were so similarly possessed? Our country continues to grow, change, and adapt, as new challenges and problems arise. With a clear vision based on the guiding principles laid down by the framers, we have built a nation, which has far surpassed the wildest dreams of its founders. So it is and must be with our Society.

Witness our annual meeting this past January in Cancun, masterfully directed by Larry Colen and his superb program committee, the contents of which appear in this issue of the Journal. Entitled ``Bridging the Hemispheres,'' this year's annual scientific meeting drew a phenomenal attendance from an unprecedented number of participating countries, who listened to the largest number of presentations and panels to date. Not only in quantity, but also in quality and diversity, have we grown. A look back at our early programs gives little indication that we would be debating hand transplantation, tissue engineering, and genetic therapy. Few of us would have predicted the utility of venous flaps, the inevitable logic of dispensing with the muscle in myocutaneous flaps, the use of coupling devices, or the economic pressures leading to a discussion of the pros and cons of outpatient reconstructive microsurgery.

Compelling arguments have been made to rename our organization either the ``American Society of Reconstructive Microsurgery and Molecular Surgery,'' or the ``American Society of Reconstructive Surgery.'' Both suggestions are bold, both are expansive, and both are well-reasoned and thought-out by two respected leaders in our Society. However, I am proud to say that, among our present ranks, are undoubtedly some of the most creative and resourceful physicians and surgeons around. We have room to grow and have just begun to fly. Clearly, the engine of that growth will continue to be our membership.

Our organization has drawn enthusiastic participation, not only from individuals in the United States and Canada, but from over 20 other countries, with several of our overseas colleagues contributing enormously to the advancement of the art and science of reconstructive microsurgery. Dynamic young surgeons, such as Philippe Blondeel and Jose Carlos Ferreira, are redefining our limits. We need to welcome all of these remarkable young men and women into our ranks to assure our continued vitality. With participants representing 22 countries at our 2002 annual scientific meeting, and somewhere in the range of 168 member countries in the United Nations, you can clearly see that we have a long way to go. Talent and desire are universal.

New challenges lie not only in the derivation of novel procedures or creative tissue engineering but, just as important, in the dissemination of our skills to benefit those individuals and countries who, for whatever reason, have not been able to take advantage of our remarkable advancements. While attendance at international scientific meetings helps to standardize our knowledge base, direct participation in hands-on education and patient care provides an unsurpassed opportunity for lifelong change and growth.

I have had the great privilege over the last 12 years of working with many of our members, including Bob Russell, Jim Grotting, Craig Merell, Julian Pribaz, and Marcos Castro Ferreira, to name a few, in Vietnam, Russia, Brazil, Morocco, and Colombia. We have found inspired surgeons eager to advance the discipline of reconstructive microsurgery, no matter how meager their resources and how difficult their circumstances. Through organizations like Interplast, Operation Smile, and others, we have had the chance to actualize our passions for building a global village of practicing surgeon educators. These wonderful charities have grown into unique delivery vehicles, overcoming extraordinary odds (and often unjust condemnation), to positively change many thousands of lives. Just like the space shuttle and, more recently, the international space station, these missions can be accomplished only by recruiting the finest and most inspired pilots and payload specialists-those with the right stuff.

The American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery should be a leader in providing uniquely qualified individuals to fill these roles. While many of us have experienced the thrill of joining in, expanded opportunities must be sought out and made available to all our members. The need is overwhelming and the rewards are unforgettable. On-site missions in developing countries, visiting overseas professorships, and short-term observational fellowships to our members' medical centers, are all ways that we can participate. Internet technology has opened the door to each and every one of us, for enormous opportunities in telemedicine.

I hope that you are stimulated by the abstracts which follow, and that you will take the opportunity to join us in Hawaii in January, 2003, for what should be our most exciting meeting to date.