Editorial

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

 

The second meeting of the "LINNC Course" with double N, will be held in Paris - Carousel du Louvre - from June the 17th to June the 19th, 2008 one year after the first edition.

 

The LINNC has mixed, for the very first time, Interventional Neuroradiology and Neurosurgery live cases. This format has definitely stimulated free and constructive debates but also some astonishment on both sides. Many of the comments we got after the first meeting have pointed out the fact that despite the two disciplines work in close relationships, we still don't know and appreciate completely how fancy, efficient and beneficial for the patients both techniques can be.

 

The LINNC 07 was a success not only because we had 600 participants, but also because the fusion between the Interventional Neuroradiology and Neurosurgery has appeared obvious and mandatory. This was the aim of the first LINNC "double N" and the goal was achieved. The LINNC 08 meeting will continue to make the "fusion" evolve for the best.

 

In very close collaboration with the department of Neurosurgery of Pr. Juha Hernesniemi of the University of Helsinki, and as usual with the cooperation of Pr. Michel MAWAD from the department of Neuroradiology in Houston Texas, we will continue to emphasise the complementarities between the two disciplines and enlarge the faculty to other very famous surgical and endovascular teams from USA and Europe. The goal is to stimulate as much as possible open debates on updates regarding knowledge of the diseases, and impact of long term follow up regarding:
 

  

• Stenting in aneurysms;
• Onyx in brain AVMs;
• Ischemic stroke (drugs, mechanics, medical management);
• Hemorrhagic stroke and vasospasm;
• Neurosurgical role in brain ischemia;
• Neurosurgical role in hemorrhagic brain;
• Carotid stenting;
• Interventional Spine;

 

 

Neurologists and ICU Doctors will provide support and controversies to "invasive therapy" and debate on medical treatment evolution.

The live cases are the aim of the course and will remain so, just because techniques and skill are indivisible in our daily practice. The selection of the cases is always done in a way that it demonstrates either the "state of the art", or a specific indication for a given technique, or the use of a new technology. Anathema is frequently thrown on live demonstrations of technique and practical training, but one should never forget that a "surgical" act has a manual component which needs years of practice to be ethically proposed to a patient. It is often easy to speak about science; it is frequently much more difficult to apply it.

 

Interactivity between panellists and attendees is another major goal of the course. Discussions will be promoted as much as possible in order to give equal chance to debate on the topics of the lectures and also during live cases.

 

Finally "evidence based medicine" will be approached through open debates on studies which are deeply intricated with our daily practice, specially the TEAM study on aneurysms.

 

Because science is linked with creativity and arts, the magic place of the Louvre museum will host the meeting for the pleasure of everybody.

 

The 2008 LINNC meeting will seal for the future a new discipline (whose name has to be found), melting Neurosurgery and Interventional Neuroradiology.

  

Jacques MORET, Michel MAWAD, Juha HERNESNIEMI.