Presidential Message

January 11-14, 2003

Koloa, Kauai, Hawaii

[Author Photo]The recent meeting of the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery (ASRM) was a great scientific and social success. The special lectures and panels were outstanding, the instructional courses explored new frontiers in complex reconstruction, and the scientific papers dealt with all aspects of reconstructive microsurgery.

The residents/fellows symposium was well attended and has become a very popular tradition at our annual meetings. Professor Soucacos, this year's Founder's Lecturer, gave an inspiring talk on the evolution of map-making, and correlated this discipline with the evolution and establishment of microsurgical reconstruction. A new feature at this meeting was the Historian's Lecture: Scott Levin, in a colorful multimedia presentation, highlighted the early years of the Society, including interviews with the early pioneers. The Presidential Address provided a very colorful and artistic depiction of Alexander the Great (356 B.C. to 323 B.C.), a marvelous general, warrior, and leader, whose philosophy and beliefs are as relevant today as they were during his short life time. Art Rettig, on the combined AAHS, ASPN, and ASRM day, reviewed two decades of treatment of upper extremity injuries in the National Football League.

The panels were thought-provoking and covered topics from tissue engineering, to post-prostatectomy nerve repairs, other genitourinary reconstruction, and challenges in head and neck reconstruction.

The instructional courses were exceptional, and included peripheral nerve grafts, major limb transplantation, operative vs. non-operative management of brachial plexus compression in the thoracic inlet, donor sites and choices, perforator flaps, managing large complex defects, genitourinary reconstruction, attempts at voice, chewing, and swallowing restoration after ablative surgery, and how to survive in the real world as a microsurgeon.

Finally, the individual scientific presentations, the abstracts of which are published here, covered the entire spectrum of reconstructive microsurgery in the format of 3- and 6-minute papers.