gms | German Medical Science

59th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC)
3rd Joint Meeting with the Italian Neurosurgical Society (SINch)

German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC)

1 - 4 June 2008, Würzburg

About this meeting

Ladies and Gentlemen,
dear Colleagues, dear Guests,

The German Society of Neurosurgery cordially invites you to Würzburg for its 59th annual meeting.

Following 1972 in Taormina and 1979 in Essen, this will be the third joint meeting with the Italian Neurosurgical Society and we wish to express a special heartfelt welcome to their members.

We are grateful they accepted our invitation and wish to acknowledge their invaluable collaboration in the preparation of this meeting. The Italian Society will be contributing 62 lectures, 34 poster presentations and 4 videos to the scientific programme.

We feel sure that you will appreciate the final scientific programme. The translation of scientific discovery into improved standards of care and vice versa as well as clinical and scientific aspects of pediatric neurosurgery, are topics that will be of interest to a good number of research groups from both the German and Italian Society.

A total of 796 scientific abstracts, more than ever before, were submitted for the selection procedure. On the one hand this is proof of the immense research activity within the German Society of Neurosurgery. On the other hand, however, this large number afforded a rigorous selection procedure in the interest of a well balanced, high-quality conference programme. We are indebted to the members of the selection committee for their excellent and responsible work.

Approximately 203 lectures and 86 poster presentations have been incorporated into the restricted frame of the scientific programme. According to defined criteria and covenants abstracts were accepted when they were graded above 2,5 on average and had a deviation below 1,2. All borderline abstracts were discussed and decided on during the selection committee meeting in January. Finally, a total of 37 % of all submitted abstracts was accepted for presentation. The table below illustrates the distribution of the abstracts within the different topics of our meeting.

Topics % Proportion Programme Oral Presentation Video Poster Presentation
Translational Neurosurgery ca. 30 54 1 33
Pediatric Neurosurgery ca. 11 27 - 4
Posterior Fossa ca. 18 40 - 12
Free Topics ca. 41 82 - 37

We scrutinized the possibility of offering a simultaneous translation to our Italian guests only to find that the expense would well exceed the meeting budget of the DGNC Society.

The conference language will therefore have to be English. Baring in mind that this can compromise the extent and quality of scientific discussion, we nevertheless sincerely hope that you will be able to knit or refresh Italian/German bonds and that the meeting will offer you the possibility for a proficient professional and cultural exchange.

My coworkers and I are looking forward to meeting you in Würzburg!