Interviews from the 34th Clinical Meeting of the AAGL Advancing Minimally Invasive Gynecology Worldwide held November 2005 in Chicago, IL, USA
New Directions of the AAGL
Andrew Brill, MD & William Parker, MD, PhD
view the video (02:08)
William Parker, MD, PhD: 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, PhD: 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, PhD: 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, PhD: 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, PhD: 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, PhD: 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, PhD: 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, PhD: It is great to see you and I hope to see
many physicians at our meetings in the future.