Dr. Eduardo Gutiérrez Galiana, president of the OPGE period 2018-2021: “I feel that the pandemic strengthened us in many ways”

In a quite intimate conversation, Dr. Eduardo Gutiérrez Galiana welcomes us with a book in his hands, which was prepared by his father (Dr. Horacio Gutiérrez Blanco) that contains 120 biographical reviews on Exemplary Uruguayan Doctors, and after rereading the dedication from his father addressed to him in 1989, he feels that precisely that message gave him more energy to continue working for the OPGE in years as difficult as the last two, in the context of a pandemic. The World Gastroenterology Organization (WGO) has just distinguished Dr. Eduardo Gutiérrez Galiana, for his leadership, dedication and commitment as a member of the OPGE Governing Council in his 2018-2021 period.

This remarkable speaker of our subspecialty of medicine, he comes from a family with a long history in gastroenterology and digestive endoscopy. In fact, his father was an emeritus professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of the Republic of Uruguay, a founding member in 1946 of the Latin American Association of Gastroenterology, which would later become the Inter-American Association of Gastroenterology (AIGE), and from From 2016 it was renamed OPGE, and President of the Latin American Association of Coloproctology (ALACP) during the years 1962-1963. Likewise, his older brother Horacio and his nephew Juan Pablo also chose his professional vocation for gastroenterology and digestive endoscopy.

The arrival of COVID undoubtedly shook various spaces of society and humanity. Along with this and presiding over the OPGE, Gutiérrez Galiana recalls that it was an intense period of changing decisions that put various activities in check, including the Pan American Congress of Gastroenterology. “I feel that the pandemic strengthened us in many ways. On the one hand, we learned about the advantages of remote telecommunications, opening the opportunity for many more people to participate, and on the other hand, it fueled the need to empower and unite even more as an organization and community. Very nice and significant gestures were given that strengthened our ties in the Pan-American region, as well as worldwide.”

In a totally virtual modality, the congress was held in July 2021, registering a total of 2,242 participants from 40 countries and exhibitors from the 22 countries of the Americas that are members of OPGE, as well as representatives from several countries in Africa, Asia and Europe, such as Morocco, Egypt, Spain, Germany, England, Ireland, Poland, Italy, Japan, Austria, Portugal, France, China, Holland and Belgium, among others. We also had the participation of 220 professors from 34 countries, and 37 Associations and Organizations of Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy from around the world, who were present at different symposiums and courses in the specialty. The meeting lasted for 3 days, and had 4 parallel rooms in which 457 conferences were given, and 123 research papers were submitted.

Dr. Gutiérrez Galiana points out: “The virtual modality showed important advantages to share teachings with a wide audience and facilitate access to participants from all over the world, who valued the teaching aspect of this format of activities. Surely the hybrid modality will continue to be It is important to note that last year we awarded 3 prizes to the best scientific papers presented at the congress, calling them: Prof. Dr. Elbio Zeballos prize, Prof. Dr. Luis Alberto Boerr prize and Prof. Dr. Horacio Gutiérrez Blanco, and 3 new Masters of Pan American Gastroenterology were appointed: Professors Dr. Elena Fosman from Uruguay, Dr. Sheila Crowe from the USA and Dr. Miguel Ángel Valdovinos from Mexico.

Together with the XXXVII Pan-American Congress of Gastroenterology, the XX Uruguayan Congress of Gastroenterology and the X Uruguayan Congress of Digestive Endoscopy were held, whose presidents were Drs. Virginia López and Federico De Simone, respectively. Gutiérrez Galiana highlighted the importance of the enormous collaborative work of the 22 Associations and Organizations of Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy of the Americas that are members of OPGE, and in addition to 15 of the main Associations of the specialty from the rest of the world, who participated in the congress carrying out various activities. , highlighting the Symposium of the Americas where all the member associations of OPGE participated, the Symposium of the World Organization of Gastroenterology WGO, chaired by its president Prof. Dr. Naima Amrani, the distinguished conference of the WGO given by Prof. Dr. Richard Kozarek, the Symposium of the European Union of Gastroenterology UEG, the Symposium of the American College of Gastroenterology ACG, the Symposium of the American Association of Gastroenterology AGA, the Symposium of the Latin American Association for the Study of the Liver ALEH, the Symposium of the Pan American Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis Organization PANCCO, the Symposium of the Latin American Society of Neurogastroenterology, the Symposium of the Mc Master University of Canada, the Symposium of the Spanish Society of Digestive Pathology SEPD, the Symposium of the Spanish Association of Gastroenterology AEG, the Symposium of the Rome Foundation, the Symposium of the Spanish Group for the Study of Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis GETECCU, among others. “Nothing achieved could have been done without the work and dedicated commitment of the Scientific Commission of the congress, since virtuality allowed us to focus on the performance of the virtual event perfectly. To do this, all the presentations were recorded and delivered previously , in order to comply with the planned times, and only connect the exhibitors for the rounds of questions and discussion”, adds the former president of OPGE.

During his period and thanks to the collaborative effort of essential scientific and administrative teams, as he points out, courses were held on Upper and Lower Digestive Tube, and Hepatology (2019 and 2020). 15 Webinar seminars have also been developed since 2019 together with the American College of Gastroenterology ACG, an organization with which an important link was consolidated. He highlights that he was fundamental during the entire period at the head of OPGE, the invaluable support received by the World Gastroenterology Organization WGO.

“From the OPGE, the existence of this organization dedicated to the development of knowledge in gastroenterology and digestive endoscopy in America is fundamental, and teamwork is very important. There is a before and after the pandemic and I think we have reaped a lot of learning that forces us to to continue advancing and perfecting ourselves. When you work with love and in a group there are no limits and without a doubt we can build synergies and a virtuous circle that allows us to grow and feed each other as a community. My thanks go out for having been part of this wonderful process”, he concludes Dr. Eduardo Gutiérrez Galiana.

He reviews more details of the congress at:
https://sped2021.com/home/

OPGE Directive 2018-2021:
Eduardo Gutierrez Galiana – President (Uruguay)
Javier San Martin – Vice President (Uruguay)
José Pedro Ibargoyen – Secretary General (Uruguay)
Ana Laura Rodríguez – Treasurer (Uruguay)
Juan Pablo Gutiérrez Aguiar – Deputy Secretary (Uruguay)
Virginia González – Pro-Treasurer (Uruguay)
Edgardo Smecuol – Executive Secretary (Argentina)
María Deambrosio – Administrative Secretary (Uruguay)

OPGE Scientific and Education Commission:
Horacio Gutierrez Galiana (Uruguay)
Edgardo Smecuol (Argentina)
Richard Kozarek (USA)
Arnoldo Riquelme (Chile)
OPGE Research and Publications Commission:
David Carr-Locke (USA)
Thomas Kroner (USA)

Commission of Past-Presidents of OPGE:
Julio Cesar Bai (Argentina)
Luis Carlos Sabbagh (Colombia)
Jose Roberto de Almeida (Brazil)

Scientific Commission of the XXXVII Pan American Congress of Gastroenterology:
José Pedro Ibargoyen (President of the Scientific Commission of the Pan American Congress) (Uruguay)
Carla Bianchi (Uruguay)
Cristina Dacoll (Uruguay)
Federico De Simone (Uruguay)
Nicolas Gonzalez (Uruguay)
Juan Pablo Gutierrez Aguiar (Uruguay)
Horacio Gutierrez Galiana (Uruguay)
Beatriz Iade (Uruguay)
Susan Kohen (Uruguay)
Thomas Kroner (USA)
Virginia Lopez (Uruguay)
Klaus Monkemuller (Germany)
Carolina Olano (Uruguay)
Yessica Pontet (Uruguay)
Adriana Raggio (Uruguay)
Elena Trucco (Uruguay)