Premysl Fryda, Ladislav Horak

editor@laserpartner.cz

 

Abstract

A brief report on a Congress of the Czech Society for the Use of Laser in Medicine and the Committee of the European Laser Association held in December 2002 in Brno.

 

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On December 5th and 6th, 2002, in the Congress Center of the Holiday Inn Hotel in Brno, Czech Republic, a Congress of the Czech society for the Use of Laser in Medicine (the Society) was held, supported by the European Laser Association. 176 domestic and foreign participants in total attended this two-day event, with the majority of foreigners comming obviously from nearby Slovakia. It should be admitted that at first we had expected more attendees from abroad, however there still may have remained some qualms about the repercussions of the devastating floods having hit the country at the end of summer 2002.

Czech Society for the Use of Laser in Medicine associates physicians working with both therapeutic and surgical lasers. Thus all presented papers dealt with both the topics, though surgical lasers strongly outnumbering their therapeutic counterparts. After a ceremonial opening of the Congress individual sections set to work. The opening lecture of associated professor Horak, the Chairman of the Society, evaluated possibilities of harmonic scalpel and laser in surgical treatment of malignities of rectum. The following scientific papers should be pointed out:

• Hodik, Eliasova, Musilova, Podholova: Fetoscopy guided laser photocoagulation in twin-twin transfusion syndrome and TRAP sequence reversion, twin reversion of arterial flow sequence
• Smucler, Mazanek: Laser hyperthermy of neck metastases of head and neck tumors
• Krasner (UK): Comparison of Argon plasma coagulator and PDT in the management of dysplasia in Barrett`s oesophagus
• Lansky, Drsata: Utilization of laser in ENT
• Jakubec et al.: Lasers in neurosurgery
• Kogler (A): Update on soft tissue augmentation
• Hladik: Destruction of tumorous tissue with the use interstitial laser hyperthermy
• Stanek (UK): Simultaneous face-lifting, brow-lifting, and laser skin resurfacing
• Brychta: Surgical approach of vitiligo treatment with CO₂ laser
• Kykalova: Tattoo and pigmented lesions - the potentials of laser surgery
• Jatsova: Contribution of computer dermatoscopy before laser surgery
• Geestreanus (NL): Possibilities and limits of wrinkles removal
• Smucler, Dvorakova: Treatment of post-laser petechias with LLLT and laser mask 
• Drapelova: Cervicocranial syndrome and the role of LLLT
• Kogler (A): Different signs of facial skin aging  - different laser procedures

Some of the papers will be published in the following issues of Laser Partner.

One of the ceremonial points of the agenda was presenting a diploma of a honorary member of the Czech Society for the Use of Laser in Medicine to professor Hubacek as a mark of great merit for many years of his active work in theory and practice of laser medicine.

The first day of the Congress was closed with a social evening, in the course of which the participants occupied themselves alternatively with cultural experience (cimbalom band music) and sports performance (tournament in skittles).

From the very morning, the second day was devoted to practical procedures. RIVA private clinic, situated not far from the hotel, rendered its premisses for two workshops. Whilst one part of the audience followed practical demonstrations of endoscopis laser brow-lift, laser hair removal and rejuvenation, laser treatment of vascular lesions, and augmentation of soft facial tissues, alternatively performed by Mario Trelles, dr. Stanek and ass. prof. Brychta, another group gathered to follow with interest a practical demonstration of dr. Prochazka`s  comprehensive laser therapy of tinnitus, including exemplary anamnesis taking, full examination, manipulation of vertebral segments, and laser therapy.

In the course of the Congress the new Committee of the Society held its first constituent meeting in order to vote for the Chairman of the Society, two deputy Chairmen, and the Scientific Secretary. 

For the first time also a new idea of the European Laser Association (ELA) for a closer involvement of national laser societies into activities of the ELA has been accomplished. The President of ELA, prof. Neville Krasner, highly regarded the Brno Congress. In 2003 the idea will continue in joint congress of ELA and the British Laser Association in Edinburgh, whilst in 2004 another ELA congress should be organized together with the Spanish laser society.