Dear Friends and Colleagues,

It gives us great pleasure once again to invite you to attend the 13th Symposium on Aortic Reconstructive Surgery, to be held in Brussels, Belgium, on June 20th and 21st, 2013. 
As in previous years, the course will focus on the diagnosis and surgical aspects of aortic valve and root disease, with particular emphasis on the technical aspects of valve preservation and repair, echocardiographic assessment, and clinical outcomes. Attendees of previous meeting know what to expect: an attractive and diversified scientific program which offers a full spectrum of learning opportunities, from continuing medical education to presentation of the most recent surgical advances in aortic valve repair.  The program will also offer several live surgery demonstrations that will illustrate the various surgical procedures.

Valve repair surgery necessitates a multidisciplinary approach including cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, and anesthesiologists.  This is illustrated by the focused attention to the pre-, intra-, and post-operative echocardiographic studies and their contributions to the valve management.  Therefore, we invite all cardiac specialists to our symposium and encourage participation of cardiosurgical teams.

Over the past decade, there have been significant advances in the field of aortic valve preservation and repair. Different approaches to the understanding of aortic valve and aortic root anatomy, pathophysiology, and surgical repair have emerged.  This congress will attempt to consolidate and unify these various approaches, by bringing together international experts to foster discussions and debate controversies in the field. Furthermore, eight live surgeries and demonstrations from the operating rooms will illustrate a variety of valve repair techniques. The goal will be to allow the cardiac specialist to gain a comprehensive understanding of the echocardiographic assessment and state-of-the-art surgical techniques for aortic valve repair.

The venue will be in Brussels, the capital of the European Union and a city steeped in European history and brimming with cosmopolitan culture. There is much to enjoy in this city and its surroundings.

We look forward to two exciting days of learning, exploration of new directions, scientific stimulation and meeting international colleagues.

	Prof G. El Khoury on behalf of, The Scientific Committee