Dear ISAPS Community & #ISAPSFamily,

Here we are in March, with another busy month of travel and meetings to be with our #ISAPSFamily around the globe. Travel can take its toll; however, ‘friendship makes a difference,’ and this has certainly been a theme for this last month!

EGYPT
On February 7 and 8, I had the privilege of meeting colleagues and friends at the 55th Annual Conference of the Egyptian Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons.   We received the warmest of welcomes from the entire local team, who cared for our every need for every second of our stay! A huge thank you to the entire committee for organizing this fantastic meeting and for their hospitality, kindness, and friendship: Prof. Hisham El Minawi, Course President and ISAPS National Secretary of Egypt; Course Secretary Dr. Aly Hussein Saber; ESPRS President Prof. Atef Emam, Prof. Hussein Abulhassan, ISAPS previous National Secretary. Thank you also to Bertha Torres (Chair of ISAPS National Secretaries), Amin Kalaaji (Assistant Chair of ISAPS National Secretaries), Mohammed Alghoul, Saed Kaldari, and Samy Saad for joining our faculty there.

CHINA
Whilst I was unfortunately not able to attend in person due to meetings in Mexico last week, ISAPS also had the opportunity to be back with our colleagues in China for our ISAPS Course in Facial Rejuvenation: From Minimally Invasive to Surgical, in Guangzhou, China (February 28–March 2, 2025). It was great to see more than 600 delegates in attendance, and we extend our thanks to our national and international speakers for creating such an engaging program, and to Dr. Lee Pu, Editor in Chief APS, for initiating this course, working closely with our Chairs:  Dr. Andre Auersvald, EC Chair; Dr. Ahmad Saad, EC Vice Chair, Prof. Sheng-Kang Luo (Guangzhou, China), and especially Dr. Dan Li, National Secretary for China, who also coordinated the local organization.

INDIA 
And now, as I write, we are just wrapping up another exceptional meeting in India, where we have enjoyed four days of the warmest Indian hospitality during the ISAPS Symposium, AESURG 2025, March 5-9, held in Ooty, India. The meeting featured a combination of lecture and video sessions showcasing crucial procedure steps, including marking, preparation, surgical techniques, and postoperative management. Ooty is a special place, with its majestic backdrop of mountains, lakes, and forests, and a working steam train railway, creating a reminder of a colonial past and rich culture and history. 

Aside from full lecture halls, and excellent educational sessions, the social program was unforgettable! Endless energy, music, dancing, color, and fun, with many good friends enjoying life together! As I said, ‘friendship makes a difference,’ my sincere thanks go to our ISAPS Program Chair, Kai Kaye, and to all our many friends here in India. I would especially like to acknowledge the support of Dr. James Roy Kanjoor, President of the Indian Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (IAAPS), Dr. Shivaram Bharathwaj, Scientific Chairman, and, of course, Dr. Ashish Davalbhakta, ISAPS National Secretary and ISAPS Board Member.

I am happy to see the many images of our members worldwide uniting to celebrate International Women’s Day, March 8, with the theme, #AccelerateAction, and also supporting our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness (D.E.I). 

With friendship and community in mind, I am looking forward to being together again at the ISAPS Olympiad World Congress in Singapore this June. With not long to go, we are busy with final program arrangements, pre-congress courses, and numerous networking events. Thank you to everyone involved in making our World Congress happen, and a special mention and thanks to Dr. Matthew Yeo, our ISAPS National Secretary and Local Organizing Committee Chair, both for joining us as faculty in both India and China this last month and indeed for dedicating so much of his time through this last year to our Congress organization!  

If you haven’t booked yet, make sure you take advantage of the early bird registration and discounted hotel rates. It is going to be a special #ISAPSFamily gathering, and I can’t wait to see you all there!

Read the complete March issue today!