Mustafa Kerem, Ahmet Balık

Congress General Secretary Congress President

Dear Colleagues,

Being aware of increasing expectations from this congress due to previous successful congresses, with a scientifically strong program that will open new horizons and gain your appreciation, we are honored to be with you in the 13th Turkish Congress of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery and 4th Congress of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgical Nursing.
A postgraduate course, which is traditionally held in the congresses organized by E-AHPBA and conducted with the lectures of world-renowned specialists on a selected topic, will be organized in a conjunction with a national congress for the first time and the topic of “The Biliary Tract” will be focused in detail. Additionally, EBSQ (European Board of Surgical Qualification) exam for Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery by European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) will be conducted for the first time in our country. We present our gratitude to Dr. Yaman Tekant, the President of the Turkish Association of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, for his efforts to organize the course and the exam and to Dr. Martin Smith, the previous president of E-AHPBA, to Dr. Christos Dervenis, the current president of E-AHPBA, and to Dr. Xavier Rogiers, Director of the Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery in UEMS, for their supports.
On the 2nd and 3rd days of the congress, important topics will be handled in panels, conferences, debates, and video panels. The final day of the congress is allocated for minimal invasive hepato-pancreato-biliary surgery techniques. In the draft program, paper sessions were planned to be hold in 2 parallel sessions. However, the number of paraller sessions was then increased to 3 considering that the submitted papers were more than expected. We thank our colleagues for their great interest.
We also thank Executive Board Members of the Turkish Association of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery because of their supports during the organization of this congress, previous directors for their contributions to the development of the association, and all colleagues for their efforts and we remember those who are not with us with mercy and gratitude.

Best Regards.
Mustafa Kerem, Ahmet Balık
Congress General Secretary Congress President