In November 2016 LAPR&D participated for the first time in  the Pancreatic Cancer “Turn it Purple” campaign.  We obtained the fantastic support of Southampton City Council, the O2 Guildhall and Southampton FC who all turned their buildings purple for a week to help raise awareness of this underfunded and little understood disease of pancreatic cancer. 
 
During the week over 160 people visited our stand in the foyer of Southampton City Council.  Charity volunteers and medical experts from Southampton University Hospital, many of whom are involved in our research programmes, discussed the disease and explained what we were doing to try to understand it better and improve outcomes for patients.  We would like to thank everyone who stopped by, donated, listened, signed up to our newsletter, agreed to take collection boxes and who liked our Facebook page as a result of the campaign.
 
Our social media posts during the campaign reach over 9,000 people which ensure that we well and truly reached our objective to raise awareness.
 
If you would like to support our work please visit our website at http://www.lapcancercharity.com and encourage your friends to like our Facebook page.
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Chaired by LAPR&D founder Mohammad Abu Hilal the EGMLLS 2017 two-day Congress meeting allowed delegates the opportunity to witness discussion and presentations by experienced surgeons and experts from across Europe including Japan and the US, and be involved in the shaping of guidelines for safer laparoscopic (keyhole) liver surgery practice.
 
This 1st European Guidelines Meeting on Laparoscopic Liver Surgery took place on the 10th – 11th February 2017 at the Hilton at Ageas Bowl, Southampton.  The meeting was endorsed by the EAHPBA (European-African Hepato Pancreato Biliary Association) and attracted over 200 UK and international experts in open and Laparoscopic Liver Surgery to develop future Guidelines for the safe and continuous expansion of Laparoscopic Liver Surgery in Europe and worldwide.
 
Topics covered included: indications for surgery, patient selection, surgical techniques, complex clinical scenarios, training and future implementation were discussed.  During the meeting delegates were exposed to state of the art lectures and videos on surgical techniques as well as a number of “Meet the Professor” sessions.
 
The meeting heard that liver keyhole surgery is less painful for the patient; more cost effective; allows quicker recovery and is expanding in use.  However, there are no recognised guidelines for its use.  Draft guidelines have now been developed in association  with the International Laparoscopic Liver Society (ILLS), European-African Hepato Pancreato Biliary Association (EAHPBA), the Italian Group of Minimally Invasive Liver Surgery (I Go MILS), Association of upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (AUGIS) & the Great Britain  and Ireland Hepato Pancreato Biliary Association (GBIHPBA). 
 
For the guidelines to be acceptable it is important that the methodology used to create them must be credible; validated and defendable.  They have been developed by a research working group (pictured) and then considered by 23 experts across Europe.  The guidelines were validated by a Validation Committee, chaired by Dr. Horacio J. Asbun, Professor of Surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Florida, USA and was supported by the LAPR&D charity who represented patient interests.  The charity funds research that detects the early signs of these forms of cancer and enhances mini-invasive treatment, such as keyhole surgery, and after care methods – as such to Congress and the Charity share similar objectives.  The draft guidelines cover 4 topic areas: Indication; Patients and Complex Disease; Procedures; Technique and Implementation.  Feedback from the Validation Committee on the draft guidelines was provided to the Congress and will now be considered by the Working and Steering Grus before being adopted across Europe. 
 
Mo Abu Hilal said “tremendous progress has been made during the Congress in Southampton on the development of these important guidelines.  I would like to pay credit to all who have worked so hard to get us to this point including the Working Group,  all subject matter experts and the Validation committee.  We will now finalise the guidelines which will bring benefits to patients.  I hope that over time they will attain worldwide acceptance” . 

To be held at the Hilton Ageas Bowl in Southampton on Friday 10th & Saturday 11th February 2017 and opened by  Southampton Mayor Councillor Cathie McEwing this internationally important meeting will be well supported by LAPR&D.  The meeting is being hosted by charity founder Mr. Mo Abu Hilal with charity supporter Paul Over providing part of  the patient representative input into the guidelines.
 
The 1st European Guidelines Meeting on Laparoscopic Liver Surgery (EGMLLS) will provide an opportunity for a large number of international experts in open and laparoscopic (keyhole) Liver Surgery to be involved in the development of future guidelines for a safe and continuous expansion of Laparoscopic Liver Surgery in Europe and worldwide.  Delegates from across the UK and Europe are attending this inaugural meeting which will take place within this contemporary and purpose-built Southampton conference venue.  It is expected that in excess of 150 delegates and visitors to Southampton will attend this important meeting.
 
The EGMLLS Organising Committee includes Southampton based surgical consultants who are enthusiastic about both supporting this meeting and promoting Southampton.  further information on the meeting can be found here: http://www.egmlls2017.com
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