New Directions of the AAGL

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William Parker, MD: Hi, I’m Dr. Bill Parker from Santa Monica, California. I am here with Dr. Andrew Brill from Chicago. I am a past President of the AAGL, the Laparoscopy Organization. Dr. Brill is just coming off the Board as a year removed from being President. We are going to ask him about some of the new directions that the organization is taking.

Andrew Brill, MD: I am glad you brought that up Bill. For the longest time the AAGL has taken the lead throughout the world in training laparoscopy and hysteroscopy. But in fact in the last several years they have been very inclusive in realizing that this agenda is not just laparoscopy, it is not just hysteroscopy. It is giving physicians and patients options for less invasive treatments in gynecology, which of course includes many things besides laparoscopy and hysteroscopy.

William Parker, MD: This morning we had an interesting session talking about the Women’s Health Initiative, which is something that the AAGL has not really done before, taking about hormones and risks and benefits. What were the Board’s thoughts about doing that?

Andrew Brill, MD: Well, I think we have to address the needs of physicians today, and they surely extend beyond simply doing surgical procedures on patients. Also, everyone has questions as to this particular topic, and therefore it was of great use to the members.

William Parker, MD: The other thing that has been interesting is the journal, which was The Journal of the AAGL. It has changed its name; do you want to tell us a little bit about that?

Andrew Brill, MD: Well change comes slowly, and sometimes painfully. But I think with grace the journal name has been changed. It used to be The Journal of the AAGL and it was changed to the Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology, again reflecting the fundamental shift in providing education in all areas of less invasive gynecology.

William Parker, MD: Well, thank you very much for talking to us today. It has been nice having you. We look forward to much better and bigger things for the AAGL, internationally.

Andrew Brill, MD: It is great to see you and I hope to see many physicians at our meetings in the future.