European Federation of Societies for Microsurgery

The European Federation of Societies for Microsurgery was created on February 10, 1990 by a group of countries, as the expression of their willingness for alliance in scientific cooperation.

The federation currently has 11 active full members: the Danish Society, the French Society (GAM), the German Speaking Group (German Society, Swiss Society, Austrian Society), the Hellenic Society, the Italian Society (SIM), the Portuguese Society, the Romanian Society, the Scandinavian Group (Swedish Society, Finnish Society, Norwegian Society, Icelandic Society), the Spanish Society, the Turkish Society, the United Kingdom Society, and 1 associated member, which awaits the full membership status.

The Federation joins together European national microsurgery societies, which are interested in promoting a high-quality degree of education for their members, by permanently increasing their level of knowledge and their commitment to caring and helping the patients.

The Federation is aiming to open new perspectives for the younger microsurgeons, by promoting cultural and scientific interchanges, by facilitating them the access to science to the newest discoveries and techniques, and by teaching them how to choose and apply these methods in the best interest of the patient. The microsurgeons are encouraged to abide by a high standard of personal, professional, moral, and ethical conduct.

In fact, the members of the Federation are trying to create a new way of scientifically reasoning for the younger generation of microsurgeons, by keeping the best from the past and by embracing and improving the future.

The Federation aims to create and implement a unified algorithm for patient care that could be disseminated and applied by all the members, and also to support and research the development of new and improved methods of treatment.

In the biennial congress of the Federation and in other scientific manifestations hosted by the different member societies, microsurgeons are invited not only from Europe but also the organizers are welcoming and encouraging a large international participation. The purpose of these scientific events is to exchange valuable information, to create links generated by the same ideas and beliefs, to allow a better understanding of the complexity of the microsurgical profession, and to guarantee that microsurgery remains a well-respected and recognized profession.

In the pursuit to find new ways to make known the purposes and aspirations of the Federation, a new cooperation agreement was established: in 2013 the Journal of Reconstructive Microsurgery (JRM) became the official journal of the European Federation of Societies for Microsurgery.

JRM is a peer-reviewed journal, which dedicates its pages to microsurgery original articles, editorials, comments, and interesting debates, offering a large platform in which all important and pertinent information can be broadcast. Inside the pages of this journal the newest and most relevant discoveries in the field of microsurgery can find a proper opportunity to be exposed and, due to its high scientific standards, with a very good reliability impact. Also, all the members of the Federation are encouraged to publish their experience, their research, innovations, and newly developed technologies in this prestigious journal with a large circulation and relevance.

Being affiliated with the American Society of Reconstructive Microsurgery, the World Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery, the American Society for the Peripheral Nerve, and the Robotic Assisted Microsurgical and Endoscopic Society, the journal covers also a large spectrum of information from which the members of the Federation can greatly benefit.

The quality of the journal is maintained by regular evaluations and by the high degree of professionalism of its representatives, which is proven by the fact that it is indexed in Current Contents/Clinical Medicine, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, Index Medicus/MEDLINE, Research Alert, and Scisearch, with an impact factor of 1.432 (2011).

As we already know, keeping up to date with the most important data in microsurgery all over the world is the most basic and mandatory requirement, but also a very time-consuming endeavor to be able to maintain an efficient professional standard. So, being available also online, JRM provides invaluable help to dedicated microsurgeons.

In conclusion, we hope that this new cooperation agreement will be mutually beneficial both for the Federation and for the Journal, creating the possibility to unite in thoughts and practice this very heterogeneous group of specialists.