Press Release Friday, July 3, 2015

It is held from 7th to 9th October 2015 in Arezzo an International “hands-on” Dissection for specialists in Neurosurgery on injected anatomical specimens.
Theme of the course: approaches to the skull base

6th International Course Hands-on approaches to the skull base
ICLO Lab / Nicola’s Foundation, Arezzo 7-9 October 2015
presented by

Luciano Mastronardi
Director of the Department of Neurological Surgery
San Filippo Neri Hospital, Rome – Italy

Learn from dead bodies to train new specialists of tomorrow. After the success of the hands-on courses organized since 2009 in Boras (Gothenburg, Sweden) and the 5th microsurgical basic International Course recently held at the Laboratory ICLO of Arezzo and in view of the great international request, I am pleased to announce the 6th “hands-on” International Course organized by the Didactic Group “FRIENDS” on skull base approaches.
It is a “three days workshop” reserved to specialists in neurosurgery of all ages from various countries of the world, which allows participants to understand and investigate the complex anatomy of the approaches to the base of the skull, performing dissections on human injected anatomical specimens. Being familiar with these approaches is needed to operate tumors and vascular diseases in areas difficult to reach at the base of the skull, in order to minimize errors in patients who risks the life.
FRIENDS is to mean: Fronting Neurosurgical Research in International Education and Development and Sophistication, but is of course a way to present a formula of friendly and relaxed teaching of difficult microsurgical cerebral anatomy.
APPEAL TO INSTITUTIONS – “A group of education for young neurosurgeons – says Prof. Luciano Mastronardi, Director UOC Neurosurgery, Hospital San Filippo Neri, Roma – for training on cadavers: a highly skilled team of specialists from all over Europe, of which I am the only Italian representative. The Director of this 6th “hands-on” skull base Course will be Prof. Luc De Waele, famous Belgian neurosurgeon of Ghent, a leading expert. Iver Langmoen, Arne Roos, Jon Ramm Patterson and me will have the role of co-directors. ”

As in the 5th Hands-On Course on basic Microsurgery, even in the next skull base course of anatomical dissection the teachers of FRIENDS group and the famous international “giant” of skull base surgery, our honoured guest Prof. Bernard George, will conduct lectures, practical demonstrations and tutor participants during anatomical dissection. All this took place in a peaceful and friendly enviroment. Many of the participants in the 5th Course basic microsurgical course have already reserved a place in the next course of October, having appreciated the teaching method marked on the practice and the “friendly” approach of the group FRIENDS.
COURSE – The course, which lasts three days, is characterized by lectures and practical exercises on anatomical specimens. The number of participants is limited to 18 neurosurgeons from many parts of the world, who will work on nine workstations. As a feature of our courses, microsurgical approaches will be performed at each station under the guidance of a tutor and with the demonstration of a teacher at the master table. The theoretical session is limited to what is necessary and every day at the end of the dissection will be shown what they have learned during the day in a summary section.
In particular, the course will cover the following surgical procedures: Fronto-Orbito-Zygomatic Approach, Cavernous Sinus dissection and Middle Cranial Fossa Approach to, Combined Petrosal Approach, Mastoidectomy, Retro and Trans-labyrinthine approach ELITE (Extreme Lateral Infrajugular Transtubercular Exposure ).

All neurosurgeons who are interested are welcome.

Luciano Mastronardi
FRIENDS co-founder

Gianni Sereni
ICLO Lab Manager