Dear Colleagues and Friends,

On the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Israel Society of Anesthesiologists, it is a great honorhonour and a special pleasure to invite you to participate in the 8th International Congress of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia, which will take place in conjunction with and the 19th International Congress of the Israel Society of Anesthesiologists, which will take place in Tel Aviv, Israel from November 10-13, 2002.

The two congresses will give an opportunity to cover a wide range of clinical and research topics in the field of cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesia. Additionally, general issues in anesthesia, pain management and critical care will be presented.

The Congress will take place at the Tel Aviv Dan Panorama Convention Centre, under the auspices of the Israel Society of Anesthesiologists, the Israel Association of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesiologists, the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists and the European Association of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiologists.

Stretched along the beautiful beach strip of the Mediterranean, Tel-Aviv is Israel's largest city and biggest commercial centre. It is a busy metropolis, which inspires its visitors with a unique energetic atmosphere of excitement and fun. By contrast, the ancient port city of Jaffa is medieval in appearance. This special blend of Mediterranean ambience, seaside resort and modern facade is what makes the city so uniquely appealing.

This year, the preparation of this high quality program had a special challenge due to the political uncertainty in our region. We are all more aware of the unsettling times in which we live, and because of those circumstances we are particularly grateful to our many colleagues from all over the world who confirmed their participation and contribution to the program.

We hope you will join us for a full program that will also include enjoyable social events in Israel's warm and sunny weather.
Sincerely yours,

Benjamin Drenger, M.D.
Congress President