International HPB Association here
The International HepatoPancreatoBiliary Association (IHPBA) is the largest international association bringing together specialists within the field of hepatopancreatobiliary sciences. The organization was founded in 1978 in San Francisco, California, and was originally named the International Biliary Association. Its name was changed into the International HepatoPancreatoBiliary Association in 1994. The IHPBA is a non-profit organization focused on science, education and teaching in the field of HPB surgery. Its journal, the HPB Journal, one of the most prestigious in its field, has a five-year impact factor is 4.48 (https://www.hpbonline.org). The IHPBA World Congress, held every two years, provides essential information in the field of HPB surgery and is the most attended event of its kind.
The IHPBA has three different chapters that represent different countries from around the world:
Americas Regional Association
Asian/Pacific Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association
European/African/Middle Eastern Regional Association
Each chapter has its own organization and organizes separate congresses and educational events. Every year, the IHPBA announces an international sponsorship (IHPBA Kenneth Warren Fellowship), which provides financial and study stays at prestigious research institutes. At present, no one from the Czech Republic is a member of any committee or subcommittee of the International or European HepatoPancreatoBiliary Association.
HPB Surgery Division at the European Union here
The European Union of Medical Specialists (EUMS) is the oldest medical organization in Europe and currently has more than 1.6 million members of various medical specializations. The scope of its work is huge and safeguards the interests of health professionals within (and outside) the European Union. The organization focuses on monitoring and complying with the correct standards for the provision of health services. A significant part of its work is supporting postgraduate teaching in various fields of medicine and supervising the postgraduate education process in many European countries. One of the strongest sections is the surgical section, which includes the UEMS hepatopancreatobiliary surgery section.
Doc. MUDr. Martin Oliverius, Ph.D., FEBS (martin.oliverius@fnkv.cz) and prof. MUDr. Miroslav Ryska, CSc., FEBS (miroslav.ryska@uvn.cz) have been representing the Czech Republic in the HPB division of the EUMS for many years.
The HPB division organizes postgraduate courses every year and provides internationally recognized certifications in the field, after which the graduates successfully obtain the title of Fellow of the European Board of Surgery (FEBS). For many, it is a ticket for a place in the workplaces of many EU countries. More detailed information on the possibilities of active involvement and possible passing of the certified examinations can be obtained from the above-mentioned representatives on behalf of the Czech Republic, or on the union’s website.
Czech Pancreatology Club here
The Czech Pancreatology Club is an interdisciplinary group of doctors with a common interest in the pancreas. The spiritual father of the club and its representative at the European level is prof. MUDr. Petr Dítě, DrSc., who has a high reputation not only in the European but also in the world pancreatological community. In 2019, the Czech Pancreatology Club became a part of the Czech Gastroenterological Society as a working group focused on pancreatic diseases (https://www.cgs-cls.cz/cpk-pracovni-skupina).
Pancreatology is field of interest to many different specialists and the pancreatology club brings together many different medical disciplines. The members of the club are experts in the fields of gastroenterology, pediatrics, surgery, radiology, oncology, pathology and others. Every year, members meet at a congress – this year the 20th Pancreatology congress will take place in Brno on June 17, 2022. The Czech Pancreatology Club is also a member of the European Pancreatology Club (www.europeanpancreaticclub.org), which also holds an annual congress. This year the congress will be held on the 22nd to 25th of June in Kiev.
The Journal of Pancreatology (https://www.journals.elsevier.com/pancreatology) is the official journal of the International Association of Pancreatology, the European Pancreatology Club and many national societies and working groups from around the world, including the Czech Pancreatology Club. The Czech Pancreatology Club aims to bring together members interested in pancreatology, organize professional and educational events focused on pancreatology, to arouse greater interest in pancreatology among the membership of Czech Gastroenterology Society and within related specialties, to organize studies on pancreatic disease and to represent its members in the European Pancreatology Club.
Quality of care in surgery here
Discussions about the quality of care in surgery have been going on since time immemorial. In cooperation with the Czech Health Insurance Bureau and with the support of the Czech Surgical Society we managed to obtain real data and accurate quality indicators. These indicators and an explanation of the entire methodology of how there were generated are available in the portal on the link above. After logging in to the portal, you can get a real picture of each workplace within the Czech Republic. In the field of hepatopancreatobiliary surgery, an indicator for the quality of care in pancreatic surgery has been completed and approved. We are currently preparing an indicator of the quality of care in liver surgery, which will also be available on the above link.
Catalog of the set of indicators here
The Czech Health Research Council (http://azvcr.cz/) is currently preparing clinical guidelines. Once completed and approved, they will be available in PDF format here.
Clinical practice guidelines – Severe Acute Pancreatitis here