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MERC08 Congress


The First Middle East Congress on Rhinology and Facial Plastic Surgery – MERC08

Venue: Tehran Milad Tower Convention Center, Iran.
Date: 4-7 November 2008

From 4th to 7th of November 2008 more than 1500 rhinologists, facial plastic surgeons and otolaryngologists from 26 countries attended the First Middle East Congress on Rhinology and Facial Plastic Surgery in Tehran, the nice capital of Iran. This meeting took place in Milad Tower Convention Center, the fourth tallest tower of the world. The participants were mostly otolaryngologists from Middle East. There was also a significant number of attendees from European, American and African countries who traveled long distances to attend this unique rhinologic event of the Middle East. The official language of conference was English. The conference was held by the Rhinology Research Society an international nongovernmental organization established to promote knowledge, practice and ethics in rhinology. The society has members from different countries and different subspecialties including Rhinology, Facial Plastic Surgery, Skull Base Surgery, Maxillofacial Surgery, and Facial Cosmetology. This society encourages research in rhinology and related fields in head and face and helps higher education in rhinology with results in the best patient care in nose, sinuses, face and skull base disorders. The Rhinology Research Society provides meetings, symposiums, workshops and research grants in rhinology while promotes health care in nose, face and related structures through public educational publications.
Elite foreign guest speakers of MERC2008 were well known experts in different aspects of rhinology and facial plastic surgery. Among them were international instructors such as Drs Fazil Apaydin (Turkey), Jan Gosapeth (Germany), Evert Hamans (Belgium), Reda Kamel (Egypt), Martin Kassir (USA), Eugene Kern (USA), Andrew Lopatin (Russia), Ranko Mladina (Croatia), Pietro Palma (Italy), Anthony Papavassiliou (Greece), Stephen Park (USA), Alexander Pazoki (USA), Jens Ponikau (USA), Hamed Sajjadi (USA), Brent Senior (USA), Heinz Stammberger (Austria), Aldo Stamm (Brazil) and Klaus Vogt (Germany).
The meeting covered a variety of hot topics in rhinology and facial plastic surgery in the form of 230 lectures, 60 instruction courses and workshops and round tables, 16 symposia, in 8 halls from 8:00 am to 19:00 pm during four congress days.         .
Many new topics on various subjects in rhinology and facial plastic surgery were presented by the speakers. The exciting and interesting lectures covered different aspects of most of the popular main topics such as Functional Nasal Surgery, Reconstructive Nasal Surgery, Primary and Revision Rhinoplasty, Chronic Rhinosinusitis and Polyposis, Allergy and Basic Sciences in Rhinology, Minimally Invasive Sinus Surgery, Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery, Endoscopic Orbital Surgery, Sinonasal Neoplasms, Sleep Apnea, Rhinologic and Facial Trauma, Non-surgical Facial Rejuvenation, Minimally Invasive Facial Plastic Surgery, Pediatric Rhinology and Facial Plastic Surgery.
On each of the four days, multiple sessions ran in sequence allowing a wide range of rhinologic and facial plastic surgery materials to be covered simultaneously in different halls.
The plenary session of the first day included lectures by Drs Jens Ponikau, Ranko Mladina and Andrew Lopatin on The role of fungi in the pathophysiology of chronic rhinosinositis, Role of biofilm in nasal polyposis and Endoscopic surgery for odontogenic sinusitis respectively.
First day workshops were held on Botulinium toxin a facial rejuvenation versus endoscopic browlift, Lip augmentation with update on current treatment modalities, Blepharoplasty, Facial resurfacing and nonsurgical facial rejuvenation with fillers.
Seven 90 minute instruction courses covered topics on Rhinoplasty, Balloon sinuplasty, Endoscopic frontal sinusotomy, Septal deformities and cleft lip and plalate.
The second day plenary session lectures included New techniques in turbinate surgery, Revision sinus surgery and The Graz CT check list by Drs Anthony Papavassiliou, Brent Senior and Heinz Stammberger respectively.Drs Aldo Stamm, Heinz Stammberger, Brent Senior and Andrew Lopatin presented their experience on endoscopic skull base surgery during a round table on the same day. Sixteen courses were held by world masters on rhinoplasty, endoscopic sinus surgery and endoscopic skull base surgery during the second day.
Management of the oversized nose by Dr. Pietro Palma, Cervicofacial rhytidectomy by Dr. Alexander Pazoki, Update on the role of fungi in the etiology of CRS by Dr. Jan Gosepath, Endoscopic Transnasal surgery for malignant tumors by Dr. Aldo Stamm, Pearls of Otoplasty by Dr. Alexander Pazoki and tip projection techniques by Dr. Fazil Apaydin were third day plenary session lectures. A round table on nasal valve surgery was moderated by Dr. Eugene Kern. Drs pietro palma and Fazil Apaydin contributed by discussions on Nasal vault flaws, from analysis to result and Grafts for valve surgery.
Endoscopic DCR, Powered Instrumentation in FESS, Image Guided Surgery in sinonasal, orbital and anterior skull base lesions, New Classification and Guidelines for Endoscopic Management of Skull Base Defects and Transnasal Endoscopic Surgery of Benign Sinonasal Tumors were instructed during advanced FESS courses by Dr. Reda Kamel.
Three Instruction Courses were presented by Dr. Heinz Stammberger in the third day which contained Endoscopic Anatomy as relates to complications and their prevention, Endoscopic Rhinoneurosurgery and Orbital and Optic nerve Decompression. Dr. Aldo Stamm presented Endoscopic surgery of the Frontal Sinus and Recess on the third day.
Techniques in blepharoplasty and browpexy, Push down operation in rhinoplasty, Endonasal tip plasty, Pearls and pitfalls of rhinoplasty were the topics of the third day instruction courses.
Facial fillers versus facial implants by Dr. Alexander Pazoki, Botulinium Toxin A facial rejuvenation by professor Stephen Park, New modalities in non-surgical facial rejuvenation by Dr. Martin Kassir instructed as workshops in this day.
The challenges of the Mediterranean nose by Dr. Pietro Palma, Adjustable tongue implant for obstructive sleep apnea by Dr. Evert Hamans, Nasal reconstruction with the forehead flap and preoperative tissue expander by Dr. Ali Arab Kheradmand,-Functional rhinoplasty, the art of form and function integration by Dr. Mohsen Naraghi, and Submental liposuction using smart lipo unit by Dr. Alexander Pazoki were topics of the fourth day plenary session lectures.
Instruction courses on facelift surgery for otolaryngologists and endoscopic browlift, facial skin surgery, repair of simple nasal defects, repair of large and complex nasal defects and fundamental design of local cutaneous flaps were topics presented by Professor Stephen Park during the fourth day.
Image guided sinus surgery with recent advances in endoscopic skull base surgery, endoscopic tumor surgery, minimally invasive pituitary surgery, Turbinate management in nasal surgery, Sleep apnea management, Anatomy of the Paranasal Sinuses and Skull Base and its Surgical applications, Endoscopic upper and mid face lift, Tips to prevent recurrence after FESS, Different techniques in Blepharoplasty with prevention of complications and Facial rejuvenation with laser resurfacing were the other instructed topics during the fouth day instruction courses.
The main topics of the symposia were:
The state of art in orthognatic Surgery, Sleep apnea management, Imaging in rhinology, Maxillofacial Trauma, Orbital decompression for thyroid ophtalmopathy, Objective assessment of the nasal airway and rhinomanometry, Pediatric rhinology, Maxillofacial reconstruction, Nose-sinuses and maxillofacial pathology, Allergy in rhinology, Radiofrequency in otolaryngology and facial plastic surgery, Endoscopic skull base Surgery,  Craniofacial deformities - cleft lip and palate surgery, Anesthetic considerations in rhinology and facial plastic surgery. A nursing symposium was also held on rhinology and facial plastic surgery nursing care during four days.
The review of the conference would not be complete without mentioning marvelous video presentations, demonstrating excellent experiences of outstanding surgeons in various aspects of rhinology and facial plastic surgery that were presented on each conference day and well participated by the delegates.
During the meeting many friends renewed their old friendships as they updated themselves in variety aspects of rhinology and facial plastic surgery and many got acquainted with other colleagues. During the coffee breaks the participants could visit an exhibition of rhinology and facial plastic surgery devices and instruments mainly provided by the congress sponsors. New rhinology and text books and softwares were also presented in the exhibition area.  Attendants had also a chance to take a tour to Tehran and visit some of its famous historical, cultural and marketing places. As north of the Tehran is surrounded by mountains, some at nights went to the restaurants built on the mountains hills and enjoyed “Kabab” – an Iranian special food- and the nice chilly weather. 
Presidential reception including a concert and a dinner party were held by the congress president on the third night of the congress. Many of the congress attendants came with their families and enjoyed themselves in that great ceremony. The concert contained traditional music and folkloric dance festivals which were greatly enjoyed by the attendants.
The congress was a great success and it helped a great deal to develop relations between the Middle East rhinologist, facial plastic surgeons, otolaryngologists and their colleagues in Africa, Europe, North and South America. With the help of the internationally founded Rhinology Research Society, we hope to hold the Middle East Congress on Rhinology and Facial Plastic Surgery biennially to increase our knowledge and build bridges of new friendships and cooperation between our colleagues all over the world.

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