23rd International Meeting of the Pediatric Colorectal Club

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

We would like to cordially invite you to the 23rd International Meeting of the Pediatric Colorectal Club, which will take place in Prague, Czech Republic from June 11-13, 2016 and will be held in the year of the 100th anniversary of Harald Hirschsprung's death (1830-1916).

The International Meeting of the Pediatric Colorectal Club represents the most important annual event for all pediatric surgeons who are interested in colorectal malformations and diseases in children. Congenital malformations and diseases of the colon and rectum in children such as anorectal malformations, Hirschsprung's disease, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic constipation and fecal incontinence represent a specific challenge to pediatric surgeons dealing with this part of pediatric surgery. The care of pediatric colorectal patients requires large multidisciplinary cooperation, continual medical education in pediatric colorectal surgery, long-term follow-up, and repeated treatment into adulthood. In addition, cooperation with specialized nurses and parents' associations is in progress.

The International Meeting of the Pediatric Colorectal Club provides a high standard of continual medical education in pediatric colorectal surgery including up-to-date clinical and scientific information from clinical studies and research.
Although the founding fathers of the Pediatric Colorectal Club still firmly maintain the traditional form of its international meetings, new ideas and forms are up-and-coming. We are going to continue the session of clinical case discussion that was introduced in Milan and appreciated by many delegates. We are offering an electronic form of poster sessions in order to eliminate crowded delegate groups in poster-rows during the poster walk sessions as well as difficulties with the transport and placement of posters.

Prague has for centuries been a melting pot of Slavic, German, Jewish and Italian cultures and a symbolic intersection point of Byzantine and Western influence. It is the seat of Central Europe's oldest university and medical faculty (1348). Because of its geographic location, Prague is regarded as the heart of Europe, and, thanks to its hilly surroundings, it resembles ancient Rome. Boasting a skyline of numerous towers, Prague is also called the city of a hundred spires. Prague is unique in its Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque architecture, as well as in its music and cultural life. After the official program you can enjoy romantic walks across Charles Bridge with a magnificent view of Prague Castle or you can explore the narrow streets of the mysterious Old Town and Jewish Quarter with its Gothic synagogue and cemetery.

We look forward to meeting you in Prague and we hope that, through your participation in the the 23rd International Meeting of the Pediatric Colorectal Club, you will gain new professional knowledge and impressive memories of our city.

Prof. Richard Škába & Dr. Lucie Poš
Local Organizers