Editorial

This issue of the European Journal of Pediatric Surgery has a focus on papers from Polish centers of pediatric surgery that were presented at the 11th Congress of the Polish Association of Pediatric Surgeons. This focus documents a development that reaches back to 2003 when Professor Holschneider and myself started to discuss perspectives of an intensified representation of Poland within the multinational network of the European Journal of Pediatric Surgery. Bearing in mind my shared editorial responsibility for the journal Surgery in Childhood International, which has traditionally served as the forum for Eastern-Middle and Eastern European societies of our subject, I was at first in doubt whether an affiliation to the European Journal of Pediatric Surgery with its strong Western European background would lead to a reduced representation of papers from Eastern Europe.

Today I am happy to realize that my former concerns have been converted into enthusiasm: Not only is the partnership with the European Journal of Pediatric Surgery characterized by the constant willingness to represent Eastern Europe; what is more, the exchange of submitted papers and the mutual consultation in the peer review process has opened new dimensions of a true transnational cooperation that is dedicated to our common subject.

I am proud that our former editorial effort in connection with Surgery in Childhood International has helped to open a window for Eastern European countries for integration into the scientific community of the united Europe. I am sure that not only our subject and we as scientists will benefit from this development, but especially - and this is the most important aspect - our patients: the children who are in need of surgical treatment that meets the state of the medical art.

Prof. Piotr Kaliciński

This issue of European Journal of Pediatric Surgery contains selected papers which were presented at the 11th National Congress of the Polish Association of Pediatric Surgeons held in Wrocław, September 17 - 20, 2003. The congress was very successful with more than 500 participants from Poland and other countries. Over 500 abstracts were received by May 2003 and were reviewed and evaluated by the Scientific Committee. Authors of 118 presentations were asked to prepare full papers for publication, not all of whom responded, but the best have been sent to Professor Holschneider to print as the proceedings of our congress in European Journal of Pediatric Surgery. As an organizer of the congress and President at that time of the Polish Association of Pediatric Surgeons, I would like to express our gratitude to Prof. Holschneider for accepting the above mentioned papers for publication.

Prof. Jerzy Czernik