113th Annual Congress of the Japan Surgical Society

The 113th Annual Congress will be the fifth time that our department will act as host. The first time was in 1906, when the first professor of our department, Prof. Harutoyo Omori, presided over the 7th Annual Congress. Thereafter, the 34th congress in 1933 was presided over by Prof. Shichiro Goto, the 78th congress in 1978 by Prof. Kiyoshi Inokuchi, and the 99th congress in 1999 by Prof. Keizo Sugimachi. Capitalizing on the valuable accumulated experiences of hosting the Annual Congress, passed down to us from our predecessors, we are currently preparing for a productive and fulfilling Annual Congress.

The main theme for the 113th Annual Congress has been designated “創始と継志”-Soushi & Keiji- (Creation and Succession of Will). In the more than 100 year history of modern surgery in Japan, the surgical techniques for treating intractable diseases were created (“創始”-Soushi-) by the diligent efforts of our predecessors, which have significantly improved the health and welfare of the Japanese public, as well as that of patients around the world. Thereafter, by developing various revolutionary diagnostic techniques, creative surgical methods and robust perioperative management methods, the created achievements, accompanied by the strong will that made them possible, have been continuously passed down to us (as “継志” -Keiji-). I believe that it was through this process of “継志” -Keiji- (the will to succeed) that the “創始” -Soushi- (created) techniques and methods have thus made rapid development and have thus become widely disseminated.

Reflecting deeply on that history, I believe that we, who bear the responsibility for ensuring that modern surgery and surgical medicine continue on this path, must continue to contribute to improvements in the quality of medicine. This includes improving the outcomes for surgery patients by utilizing the various pharmaceutical products and surgical devices that have been developed, and by also employing the latest technologies, developing new surgical techniques, and adding innovations and enhancements to the existing techniques and devices.