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Written by Prof. Mark Ferguson, University of Chicago, USA

The 1st and 2nd ISDE World Congresses were an outgrowth of parallel efforts in Japan and in the West to develop international collaboration among physicians and surgeons treating esophageal diseases. During the 2nd Congress in Rome, Professor Rudiger Siewert proposed that a joint congress be held by the two groups in 1986 as a first step in creating a merger between them.

Thus, the 3rd ISDE World Congress was hosted in 1986 by Professor Siewert (Congress President) in Munich at the Technical University, with able support from Professor Arnulf Holscher (Figure 1). Professor Kyoshi Inokuchi was named ISDE President, and Professor Nakayama was named Honorary ISDE President (Figure 2). The Congress overlapped with the famous Oktoberfest event in Munich, and the juxtaposition was celebrated in part by having large steins of beer served starting as early as the 10:00 AM break between sessions. The scientific discourse was lively, and few will forget the social events, which were livelier still (Figure 3)! Over 600 abstracts were submitted for the meeting, and registration expanded considerably. The Congress was joined by other esophageal organizations centered in Europe, including Group European Etude Maladies Oesophage (GEEMO) and the International Organization for Statistical Studies of Esophageal Disease (OESO), the latter founded by Professors Lortat-Jacob and Robert Giuli. Professor Lortat-Jacob was named the first Honorary Member of the ISDE. The Congress proceedings were published as Diseases of the Esophagus: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, Conservative and Surgical Treatment, published by Springer-Verlag and edited by Professors Siewert and Holsher.

Using the model established by the 1986 Congress, the 4th ISDE Congress was held in Chicago in 1989, hosted by Professors David Skinner, Alex Little, and Mark Ferguson. The Congress venue was the newly opened Fairmont Hotel (Figure 5). The Congress President was Professor Skinner (Figure 4), and Professor Inokuchi was ISDE President. Three Honorary Memberships were awarded to Professors Ronald Belsey (Bristol, England), Guam Bee Ong (Hong Kong), and Spencer Payne (Rochester, MN). Nearly 600 abstracts and films were submitted on benign and malignant disease, and 336 were selected for presentation across four different venues. The social program was highlighted by a performance by the Queen of the Blues, Koko Taylor (Figure 6). The proceedings of the Congress were published in two volumes by Futura as Diseases of the Esophagus, Volume I: Malignant Diseases, and Diseases of the Esophagus, Volume II: Benign Diseases (Figure 7), edited by Professors Skinner, Little, and Ferguson.

Figure 1. Registration activities at the 3^rd ISDE Congress held in Munich.

Figure 2. Professors Siewert and Nakayama confer at an ISDE committee meeting during the 3rd ISDE Congress.

Figure 3. The social events during the 3rd ISDE Congress often included folk dancing and traditional local musical entertainment.

Figure 4. David B. Skinner, MD, 4th ISDE Congress President.

Figure 5. Fairmont Hotel, Chicago, site of the 4th ISDE Congress.

Figure 6. Koko Taylor, Queen of the Blues.

Figure 7. Diseases of the Esophagus volumes.