The Portuguese Association of Ambulatory Surgery (APCA) organized from the 15th to the 17th of June 2023, the XIII National Congress of Ambulatory Surgery, which took place in the city of Santo Tirso and was organized by the Board of APCA and ASC of Santo Tirso – CH Medio Ave.
This was another Congress that revealed with an excellent quality of organization and with a
Program of high scientific level and was attended by around 800 participants, among
delegates, members of the Faculty, Organizing Committee, guests and elements of the
Industry.
This will remain one of the Congresses with the highest number of participants, both in terms of registered delegates, works presented and number of companies from the Industry, that were present in our Exhibition area. We had participants from almost all Hospitals nationwide, including the public and private system, which demonstrates the growing interest in the field of AS.
APCA also invited 2 representatives of the Hospital Central de Maputo – Mozambique, who
were represented through its Clinical Director – Dr. António Luis Assis da Costa and the
Director of the Department of Surgery – Dr. Atilio Luis Morais.
We also had as a guest Dr. Vanessa Pinto, specialist in General Surgery, from Angola and the
President of ASECMA, Dr. Luís Hidalgo – Barcelona, Dr. Dieter Morales – Malaga and Professor Douglas McWhinnie – UK (online).
A total of 140 free-papers were sent to this congress, coming from almost all hospitals
nationwide, in the areas of Nursing, Anesthesia, Surgical specialities and Management. This
number was one of the highest in the history of APCA Congresses and demonstrates the high
interest for this meeting. At the end of the Congress, several prizes were awarded in different
categories: Best Videos, Best ePosters and Best Free Communications.
The Scientific Program was designed with the aim of including the most current issues related
to the practice of Ambulatory Surgery. Being a multidisciplinary and multiprofessional
Congress, topics of interest to all professional groups that work at ASC's in Portugal were
discussed. Topics from the medical field (anesthesia and different surgical specialties) were
discussed, as well as various nursing topics. Speakers and topics involving other ASC
professionals were also included: Technical Assistants and Operational Assistants, as they also
play an important role in the success of the AS.
WS were held on the 15th and 16th in the area of Urology, with an EndoUrology Course, which
proved to be of high scientific quality, as well as a WS of long-term Central Venous Accesses in
the area of General Surgery and a WS of Stomatology, which had high participation.
Several important moments took place in this Congress, with emphasis on the presence at the
Opening Ceremony of the Minister of Health, Dr. Manuel Pizarro.
We would also highlight the inaugural session on the “Secrets of good leadership” in which we
had a “talk” with the President of Futebol Clube do Porto – Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa.
We also highlight all the round tables, where innovative topics related to new technologies
were presented, including robotic surgery, which will certainly have an important role in AS in
the very near future, as it already happens on a large scale in the USA.
The APCA Congress is already one of the historic meetings at national level, occupying a
prominent position, due to the high level of participation, its scientific quality and the social
“glamour” that surrounds this meeting.
This Congress is essentially an opportunity to find friends, share science and join the huge “AS
family”, which is spread across all hospitals in our country.
The main challenge that we launch to all those who participated and were present in Santo
Tirso, will be that they take to their ASC's and hospitals, all the knowledge they acquired in this
Congress, for a better treatment of our patients on an outpatient basis.
It only remains to thank all those who supported this Congress, namely the Municipality of
Santo Tirso and its President, the members of the Local and National Organizing Committee
and all the companies that were present at this event.
APCA, July 2023
Carlos Magalhães
President APCA
