Dear Colleages and Friends,

The Second National Conference of the Bulgarian Association for Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery (BAMIRS) has come to an end. Still under the strong emotion of the event, we feel compelled to share our impressions from these four days of exchanged experience and fruitful discussions.

The main theme of the Conference was complications, held under the motto “Predict, Prevent, Control.” More than 250 participants from Bulgaria and abroad delivered engaging plenary lectures in the fields of abdominal and thoracic surgery, urology, and gynecology.

This year, we once again placed special emphasis on young minimally invasive gastroenterologists, as well as on healthcare professionals. For the first time, a dedicated scientific session on minimally invasive veterinary medicine was held. The live surgery session, featuring a tele-bridge between Portsmouth and Pleven, attracted tremendous interest.

Our partners from the Society of Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgeons (SLS), USA, supported our efforts to promote the fundamental principles of minimally invasive surgical approaches—not only among highly specialized audiences, but also among students, young physicians, healthcare professionals, and all those directly or indirectly connected to this specific medical field.

The training course for young doctors and residents also generated exceptional interest. Leading mentors included representatives from SLS, as well as BAMIRS specialists trained through the Lapco Train the Trainers program.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who contributed to making the Second National Conference of BAMIRS a significant scientific event with impact not only in Bulgaria but internationally: the members of the Scientific Committee, chaired by Academician Grigor Gorchev; the members of the Organizing Committee, chaired by Prof. Dobromir Dimitrov; all plenary speakers (46 Bulgarian and 11 international); the technical staff, without whom such an event would not be possible; our industry partners; the representatives of the organizing company Kirov Consult, led by Mr. Dimitar Kirov; and all registered participants.

During its meeting, the Board of the Association decided that in 2027, the Medical University – Pleven will host the BAMIRS School “Pleven Minimally Invasive Days 2027”, featuring hands-on training for young doctors and residents. In 2028, the Medical University – Varna will host the Third National Congress of BAMIRS.


Sincerely,