For the third time, Tbilisi will host the international scientific conference and workshop “Infertility 35+”, a most important event for the medical community.
Under the auspices of the Georgian-German Center for Reproductive Medicine GGRC, and with the support of the Georgian Associations of Reproducologists, Obstetricians and Urologists, on September 18-19, at the Biltmore Tbilisi Hotel, a gathering of the leading experts in the field from around the world will take place.
The conference participants will have the opportunity to listen to the presidents of reproductive associations of different countries and doctors of the world’s leading clinics, from America, Israel, Germany, Turkey, Lithuania, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Canada, Austria, and Russia.
The current topics of this year’s conference naturally touch on the post-Covid period and related changes in the reproductive field, with the main topic being the important innovations in reproductive technologies and methods which have been introduced in the last year in the world’s leading clinics.
This year, the head of the Georgian Association of Reproducologists, Professor Archil Khomasuridze, will lead the conference, while the moderator will be the clinical director of the Georgian-German Reproductive Medicine Center GGRC, Professor Nino Museridze.
“I believe that it is vital for professional growth to keep your finger on the pulse and not fall behind the changes and innovations dictated by the field of world reproductive medicine,” says Nino Museridze. “For this, I personally attend conferences, congresses in different countries, seminars and workshops. Saddened that events of such a scale were not held in Georgia, I decided to give our doctors, residents and future doctors an opportunity to get this pleasure on the spot, in their country, without any travel expenses. It is sure to benefit everyone, Georgian medicine and people who need this service.”
The speakers of this year’s conference will pay special attention to the factor of genetics in reproductive medicine and the importance of genetic research, while among the main topics are: “Management of pregnancy in diabetes”; “Receiving biological material of oncology patients”; “Rising Infertility Statistics and Studies”; “Production of stem cells and PRP procedure.”
Among those invited as special guests and speakers at the conference are: Victor Gomel MD, FRCSC Professor Emaritus/Emerita Division of Reproductive Endocrinology &Infertility The University of British Columbia; Professor Alexander Simon MD, IVF Specialist, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem; Professor Adva Aizer Head of the IVF Laboratory Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Sheba Medical Center; and Professor Raoul Orvieto , Director of Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Sheba Medical Center, Head of the Israel Fertility Association.
A workshop on Stem cell and PRP Therapy will be organized within the framework of the conference.
The September issue of Medical Times, a medical scientific journal founded by the Georgian-German Reproductive Center, is specially dedicated to the topic of the conference, in which the readers will get acquainted with the abstracts of the reports made at the conference. The conference is held both offline and online, and those who could not register will be able to listen via zoom. Pre-registered trainees at the conference (reproductive specialists, obstetricians and gynecologists, urologists, clinical oncologists, endocrinologists and doctors certified in oncology surgery) will be awarded 1st category 9 Continuous Professional Development (CPD) points.
For the citizens of Georgia, attendance at the conference is free.
We spoke to Professor Archil Khomasuridze about the importance of this conference for Georgia.
“Every conference in reproductive medicine is important and useful if it has an educational focus,” he tells us. “This conference, in which I am also participating, is exactly of this nature. It is also interesting to note that at the beginning of the Covid pandemic, the last conference of this level was held by the GGRC, focused on reproductive medicine, and now, with the pandemic over, this clinic again chose to hold a high-level conference in our country.
“At the conference, Georgian doctors, residents and students will be admitted without any financial expenses. This field is relatively young among other fields of medicine and requires constant development. Recently, reproduction has become a very popular direction in our country. Georgia is the only country in the world where reproductive medicine is an independent medical discipline. I personally fought for it for 27 years, and in 2020, the state recognized this field as an independent field from gynecology.”
How do you evaluate the conference in terms of the country’s prestige, and what is the world’s reaction to this conference?
Two of the conference guests, scientists whom I know personally, are stars in world reproductive science: Professor Gomel, from Canada, who is author of the first in vitro fertilization in Canada and founder of laparoscopy, Chevalier of the French Legion of Honour. Second, one of the important figures of in vitro fertilization Professor Shimon, from Israel. So, if we take into account the participation of these two scientists, the conference is really of a high level of scientific and educational importance on an international scale.
How important is the development of the field of reproduction for the demography of Georgia?
In all European countries, in our neighborhood – everywhere, they appreciate in vitro fertilization. In Georgia – no, and definitely, one should start thinking in this direction. I welcome that the first steps in this direction have already been taken in the Adjara region. Based on the unfavorable current situation in terms of fertility, I ask the decision-makers not to destroy Georgia – do something apart from medicine to correct the demographic situation in our country in order to save the Georgian gene.
Tranlated by Ana Dumbadze