Nearly 250 participants from around the world convened in Athens, Greece, in late August and early September for the second Mediterranean Conference of Plastic Surgery Innovations.
Organized by the Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Colorado Department of Surgery, in collaboration with The Aesthetic Society and several other societies, this year’s conference covered a wide range of reconstructive and aesthetic aspects of the entire body, concentrating on innovative topics and controversial issues. The event also offered networking and social activities that gave participants a taste of Greek culture.
Exporting expertise
“One of the main goals of the meeting is to bring American surgeons to Europe,” says Christodoulos Kaoutzanis, MD, FACS, associate professor in the Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, who chaired the conference along with George Kokosis, MD, FACS, assistant professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery at Rush University in Chicago. “As surgeons in the United States, we are lucky as we have access to a lot of great meetings where you can interact and listen to the talks from many experts in the field. But surgeons living in Europe or the Middle East or Asia don’t have the luxury to be traveling to the States every two or three months to go to a meeting. We wanted to bring a lot of these renowned speakers to the Mediterranean so people from Europe and the nearby continents have easier access.”
The 2024 conference followed an inaugural May 2023 meeting in Limassol, Cyprus, that drew delegates from more than 15 countries. While the theme of the 2023 event was microsurgery, the 2024 event focused on cosmetic surgery and reconstructive surgery, with presentations by such luminaries as Rod Rohrich, MD, FACS, clinical professor of plastic surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, and Phillip Blondeel, MD, PhD, FCCP, chairman of the Department of Plastic Surgery at University Hospital in Gent, Belgium.
Conference co-chairs Christodoulos Kaoutzanis, MD, FACS, left, and George Kokosis, MD, FACS, right, with keynote speaker Phillip Blondeel, MD, PhD, FCCP.
“The speakers gave phenomenal talks, which kept the attendees very interested and engaged throughout the meeting,” says Kaoutzanis, who was born in Athens. “It was nice for them to learn, network and exchange ideas with all these well-known experts in the field.”
CU experts present, teach
Other CU plastic and reconstructive surgery faculty members spoke at the conference as well, including assistant professor Mark Greyson, MD, professor Phuong Nguyen, MD, FACS, and professor and division chief David Mathes, MD.
David Mathes, MD, of the CU Department of Surgery, presents on breast reconstruction.
A one-day workshop for medical students and residents was organized and led in part by assistant professor Katie Egan, MD, and assistant professor Jason Yu, DMD, MD.
“The workshop was something we launched this year,” Kaoutzanis says. “We had faculty talk about the basics of plastic surgery. This was supplemented by hands-on experiences with injectables, such as Botox and fillers, and other stations to teach suturing, body markings, and craniofacial principles. We had around 40 students and residents. Some of them also gave oral presentations and exhibited posters.”
Creating connections
Kaoutzanis hopes the event’s mix of professional and networking opportunities created connections that will last long beyond the end of the conference.
“We had social activities that were well organized and brought all the participants together,” Kaoutzanis says. “I think that helped make connections between people and build new relationships all across the globe so people can learn, share their experiences, and network in the future. That’s important.”
Featured image: Alfredo Hoyos, of Colombia, gives a presentation on body contouring at the conference.
