Mission
To promote the excellence of Plastic Surgery in Europe
To provide an annual Forum for a selection of the best scientific works presented at National Societies
To stimulate research and investigation at European level, as well as to coordinate various forms of teaching
To preserve the unity of Plastic Surgery by illustrating its different aspects
Origin
The need for a high standard European Society of Plastic Surgery was the main reason for a group of Plastic Surgeons, inspired by Daniel Marchac, to constitute an Association with the aim of promoting the excellence of Plastic Surgery in Europe, furnishing an annual Forum for a selection of the best scientific works presented at National Societies, stimulating research and investigation at European level, as well coordinating various forms of teaching (By-laws, Art.1). Founding Members were: Daniel MARCHAC and Jacques BAUDET (France); Mike HACKETT and Brian MORGAN (U.K.); David TOLHURST and Jacques VAN DER MEULEN (The Netherlands); Riccardo MAZOLLA and Paolo SANTONI RUGI (Italy); Madeleine LEJOUR (Belgium); Wolfgang MÜHLBAUER and Heinz REICHERT (Germany); Hans ANDERL and Gerhard FREILINGER (Austria); Kob WINTSCH (Switzerland); Sirpa Asko SELJAVAARA (Finland); Björn PALMER and Carl-Evert JONSSON (Sweden) and Adolfo MONTOYA (Spain).
Date of Constitution
The Association was established in Paris on May 23, 1989 and was named European Association of Plastic Surgeons. The by-laws were approved during the first business meeting held in Istanbul, Turkey on September 5, 1989.
Secretary General
Daniel MARCHAC (France) was appointed Secretary General and guided the Association from the date of its establishment until 1995, when he was replaced by Riccardo MAZZOLA (Italy), who held this position from 1995 until 2001. Stan MONSTREY (Belgium) succeeded him from 2001 until 2007. Moshe KON (The Netherlands) took over this position in 2007 and served till 2011. Manfred FREY (Austria) was Secretary General from 2011 until 2014. Fabio SANTANELLI DI POMPEO (Italy) was Secretary General from 2014 to 2021, Jan Jeroen VRANCKX is the current Secretary General from May 2021.
Presidents
Since its constitution, the following Members served the Association as Presidents: Hans ANDERL (Austria), Mike HACKETT (U.K.), Paolo SANTONI RUGI (Italy), Kob WINTSCH (Switzerland), Ron PIGOTT (U.K.), Jacques VAN DER MEULEN (Holland), Madeleine LEJOUR (Belgium), Alfred BERGER (Germany), Sirpa Asko SELJAVAARA (Finland), Hans HOLMSTRÖM (Sweden), Daniel MARCHAC (France), Rafael DE LA PLAZA (Spain). Martyn WEBSTER (U.K.). Gustav GULYAS (Hungary), Wolfgang MÜHLBAUER (Germany), Denys MONTANDON (Switzerland) Zoran ARNEZ (Slovenia), Riccardo MAZZOLA (Italy), Jürgen HOLLE (Austria), Françoise FIRMIN (France), David SOUTAR (UK), Erkki TUKIAINEN (Finland), Julia TERZIS (Greece), Andrej BANIC (Switzerland), Stan MONSTREY (Belgium), Grazia SALIMBENI (Italy), Moshe KON (The Netherlands), Manfred FREY (Austria), Beatriz BERENGUER (Spain), Georg NOEVER (Germany), Norbert PALLUA (Germany), Milomir NINKOVIC (Germany), Phillip BLONDEEL (Belgium), Fabio SANTANELLI DI POMPEO (Italy), Efterpi DEMIRI (Greece) is currently President.
Members
EURAPS has 293 members divided into the following categories: Active, Associate, Senior and Honorary, from 22 European Countries and 14 corresponding members from countries outside Europe. They are accurately selected by a Committee on the basis of C.V., publications and presentations at EURAPS Meetings.
Scientific Meetings
The First Scientific Meeting took place in Strasbourg, France, City of the Council of Europe on 7-9 June , 1990 . The papers, chosen among the best ones presented at the National Societies Meetings, were carefully selected by an international Committee. Thanks to their high quality in the field of Research, Clinics and Aesthetics, EURAPS ranked soon among the leading Associations in Europe for Plastic Surgery and this leadership is now recognized all over the world. Meetings last two days and take place in a different European country each year. The selection of abstracts received is very strict: usually only one out of four is accepted. A Panel on a specialized topic has been added to the Scientific Program. A commercial exhibition with the latest technological innovations is part of the Meeting.
Affiliated Associations
Since 1997 EURAPS established a formal affiliation with the American Association of Plastic Surgeons (AAPS) to share their cultural and scientific experience and agreed that the best paper of each Association will be invited to the next Meeting of the other Association. The EURAPS Research Council is the research wing of EURAPS and is continuing the platform for young researchers in Plastic Surgery and Basic Scientists as it was started and established by ECSAPS.
Scholarships
Each year EURAPS offers 30 and 90 day scholarships in European Centres of Plastic Surgery to young Plastic Surgeons under 37, to foster and improve their training in Plastic Surgery. An exchange Fellowship with U.S. Plastic Surgeons is also available under the auspices of the AAPS. For more information potential participants are kindly invited to visit our Website under the heading Education.